Mike,it is better to have no leaves and the roots not protected.I would be surprised if your supplier has not already stripped the leaves before shipment.Any I have received have always been bare and all have lived and thrived,soon putting on new leaves.
Now, that said,we will be getting these plants very late in the year so resist the temptation to over water them when you pot them up.My system is to put the bare plants into a bucket of water and let them soak up some water for about an hour and then pot in slightly damp soil.Keep them on the dry side and as warm as you can until they get new leaves.
