Agreed. Lid on the DO makes no difference flavor wise if it's cooked on the kettle, on the stove, or in the oven. If I have coals left over I'll use the kettle because it's convenient.
That's one of the reason why a half smoke, half braise is nice. Good flavor from the smoke, then really tender pull apart goodness from the DO. Thinking about it ribs 3-2-1 is a similar concept.... Smoke for 3 hours, foil for 2 will at the very least steam and tenderize, with some liquid like apple juice added it's essentially a braise, then finish on the grill for a great bark.
Lots of creative applications in combining cooking techniques.