How about this:
Ime with a full offseason to plan and his own coaching staff, losses in the finals
Joe with a full offseason to plan and his own coaching staff, wins in the finals.
Ime's "successful one season" win % < Joe's (3rd season) "disappointing season" win %
Sure, in a world where rosters don't matter at all.
Why make comparisons at all then? When have 2 coaches had the exact same rosters n separate years?
It?s not like Ime didn?t have talent to work with. Most of the big pieces were the same. Rob Williams at his best was a huge difference maker, an absolute ceiling raiser.
Joe got a lesser Timelord, a better Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon. He had more to work with than Ime in his first year, and lost to a #8 seed.
Comparing Joe's roster with KP and Jrue and saying they've got a better record than Ime did is a silly, meaningless argument.
I?m not sure Joe had a better roster his first year than Ime did. To me, good Timelord > bad Timelord and Brogdon. A healthy RWill was an absolute difference maker, on a gimpy knee he was average at best, Brogdon doesn?t make up that difference. A better White for sure but also a much worse version of Smart. Smart had his best year by a mile under Ime, it?s been down hill ever since. GWill dissolved Joes 1st year as well. Horford prolly stayed steady. Pritchard got no minutes as a result of Brogdon?s arrival making Brogdon more of a net negative on the team. Hauser, I don?t recall much difference, he blossomed last year. Brown and Tatum, prolly better versions a year older, I think Tatum made a leap that year but Brown didn?t make his leap till last year. So, I don?t see those roster differences having that great of a talent disparity. What was different about the roster that was a lack of happiness and focus. Several players, namely Smart and GWill and likely Brogdon, were malcontents. Locker room had a huge effect on that team. You can put some blame on Joe for not bringing them together but then you also have to blame Ime for breaking it in the 1st place.
All that being said, if you have to place so much emphasis on the roster to swing an argument about who a better coach is then maybe it?s the roster that matters and not the coaches at all.