Looking at the complete picture might help in deciding. While POI is super important, lots of things are super important. The lab work, the location, the POI, the degree you want, etc. You should weigh these (and other) variables as you want and decide how much you think it will matter to you. Sounds like the POI is hands off but like others have said, maybe they could be more hands on if requested too. It might also give you some freedom to apply some of your own spins on to your research. Like you said if you want to practice, this might be useful if you can research the client base you are interested in. The concerns other posters brought up could be real for you, it is tough without knowing you specifically!
Good luck with the decision! Sounds like it may be a tough call for you.