Small Block Oil Pick Up Tube Question

I'm not quite understanding this point on the pickup size being a problem.... The weight of the oil that has to be lifted to get to the gears seems negligible. If we were talking a water well pump pulling up from 200' below ground level then yes, but we are lifting oil maybe 6" or 8"?? You fight the weight of the oil, which looks to be very small in this case, and also to flow resistance/pressure drop through the tubing. A larger tube would offer lower pressure drop into the pump.

I have to wonder if the point of dual pickups in the past has been more to avoid complete starvation with the oil sloshing around.....