Sort of. I appreciate this isn't a clear cut answer, and in general the answer is yes as more energy is lost to tall knobs flexing than a slick tread. Bear in mind there's a big difference between tall, widely spaced lugs such as you'd find on a true mud tyre like a Challenge Limus and the large, but shallow and closely spaced knobs on something like the René Herse Juniper Ridge ride far more like an intermediate or a semi slick than their chunky tread would suggest.