That’s interesting you’re of the same belief.
Fwiw I use a defoliation on my mother’s to slow transpiration /growth and keep them small as
The tub holds the pot about 1.5" clear of the bottom so they don’t stand in their own run off.
A while back I was cloning one for a friend so i just let it grow unhindered, all else being equal I got a huge flush of new roots out the bottom of the pot.
It’s difficult to know anything for sure not being a scientist but it looks like root growth is relative to plant mass?