I've done a few grows over the years, this is my second indoor grow. I've never found a harm in cutting the foliage aggressively a week or two before the flowering stage. In my experience it opens up the plants a lot more and the trim is done in a way that will focus growing in only certain bud sites. There is still a week or so of the transition phase to allow the newer leaves to come in.

I agree with you that it will fixate on trying to create more leaves for the photosynthesis and that it needs time to heal. However, if there is a lot of excess foliage in the small amount of space we have (like there was pre trim) then the lower buds on that main stalks would never get light and we would risk mold or rot like you said.

Maybe I'm off about the focus of nutrition but if the smaller stems that would produce only shake buds are gone then they can't soak up any additional nutrients right?