I started making pizzas with just a regular kettle and made some great pies. I used some fire bricks placed on the grate to raise the stone to the level of the bowl rim, which made it easier to get the pizzas on/off.
You can get high heat by leaving the lid cracked open for more air flow.
I now have a KP that I'm trying to dial in, but it almost seems like more effort than my previous method. Yeah, I can lift the KP on/off as needed, but the damn thing is heavy when you add the grate and stone. Without the KP, I could just close the vents when done and save the rest of my fuel. With the KP, I need to move it to another grill to accomplish the same thing.