Yes terms are important, I dappled in biology when in university so I am no expert. The OP asked if they could be 'slightly arboreal' not a scientific term but one that is understood to be somewhere between semi-arboreal and terrestrial. There is enough evidence that that can be made to say that they are sometimes found in trees, 6% of prey items was found to be avian species in that particular study. They do climb in the wild, saying they cannot climb is simply not true at all.
Do they need to climb? No, that also has been proven. Should we give them that chance, is a very thorny topic. Breeders can't allow it due to simple economics, it is not a requirement and space being at a premium not feasible. The question is for the rest of us to answer for our selves.
We strive to create a bit of captive Africa in our homes. How close we come to natural is a question of preference. If there are any studies about naturalistic vs minimalistic I have not found one yet. With out a proper study it is impossible to say if there is or is not a any benefit to the snake. They are very inquisitive creatures and the opportunity to climb, if practical, might have no benefit but it also presents no harm either. What is the harm if they are provided the opportunity to climb with in their enclosure?
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