A roofer's two-word comment changed how I check gutters

Back in April I was up on a ladder clearing leaves and this roofer who was fixing my neighbor's shingles just yelled over, "check the downspouts." I had always figured if the gutters were empty, we were fine, so I ignored him until my basement took in water after a heavy storm. Turns out the downspout was clogged about two feet down where it curves, and all that water was spilling over the edge right by the foundation. Now I run a garden hose through every downspout in the spring and fall, and I check both ends before I even touch a single leaf. Has anyone else found that the hidden part of the drainage system causes more trouble than the gutters themselves?