Depends on what you're trying to do. You probably know full defoliation will reduce leaf size in the next budding; partial defoliation should encourage new buds closer to the trunk, but not encourage much new growth this year.
Last year, I removed 1 leaf from each pair of leaves to get sunlight into the interior and it really slowed the transpiration and root growth. It still looked "presentable" for the rest of the year, so it may be an option for you as well. I think it stimulated some internal budding this year, but leaves are definitely smaller this year.