Hi icnoble,
Just trying to make sure I understand your question - if you want to know whether you should use the 70-200 on a tripod, relying on the camera's plate, the answer is no, not a good idea. That's not a light lens, and you would surely get some kind of shake. Much better to have the extra lens plate so the weight of camera and lens is evenly balanced over the tripod. I bought a separate plate for my 70-200 and am very pleased with it.