Which NBA Superstar Has Better Supporting Cast: Derrick Rose or LeBron James?

In Derrick Rose and LeBron James, both the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers have, respectively, one of the best NBA players on the planet.

But these two Eastern Conference heavyweights would not hold that status on the strength of their top players alone. Despite the fact this pair has claimed five of the past six MVP awards (one for Rose, four for James), even the elites need help.

And these clubs have assembled a staggering amount of assistance, albeit in different fashion.

The Bulls have put together a complementary cast better than any Rose has seen before. There are dominant defenders, surefire shooters, steady scorers, relentless workers—players capable of scratching any possible itch.

Cleveland has more top-heavy talent, namely perennial All-Stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. Behind that transcendent talent, though, lies an intriguing group of experienced veterans and rising prospects.

Each roster is best defined as an embarrassment of riches, a championship-caliber collection by any measure. But which packs the more powerful punch outside of its biggest hitter? Who will have more help on the path to the podium: Rose or James?

The Backcourt

Largely on the scoring strengths of Irving (20.8) and Dion Waiters (15.9), the Cavs averaged the eighth-most backcourt points in the league last season (45.5), per HoopsStats.com. The Bulls, meanwhile, checked in at No. 25 on that list (36.9).

The return of Rose, a 20.8-points-per-game scorer for his career, will undoubtedly improve that number, but he isn't a part of this discussion. Focusing the lens on Chicago's other guards—Aaron Brooks, Kirk Hinrich, Tony Snell, Mike Dunleavy and a dinged-up Jimmy Butler—reveals a cast of characters that could once again struggle to score.

Butler is the best of the Bulls' bunch. The 25-year-old swingman put up a career-best 13.1 points a night last season, and he used Chicago's exhibition schedule to not-so-subtly hint at more productive days ahead.

He single-handedly shredded the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 16, pouring in 29 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and a 12-of-16 showing at the free-throw line. A 38.1 percent shooter from distance in 2012-13, Butler saved his only triple of the night for when it mattered most.

Unfortunately, his hot start sputtered out almost as quickly as it started. He suffered a sprained left thumb his next time out and has not been seen since.

No one seems to know exactly how long Butler will be missing in action. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau offered up a two-to-four-week timetable recently, per ESPN Chicago's Nick Friedell, but he admitted that was more an educated guess than anything.

"Two-to-four (weeks), one-to-three, I don't know what it is," Thibodeau said, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "He's not comfortable going yet so when he is, he will."

Without Butler, the Bulls are down their top perimeter defender and arguably their second-best backcourt scorer behind Rose. Dunleavy is a shooting specialist, Brooks' effectiveness runs hot and cold, and Hinrich hasn't finished with a 40-plus field-goal percentage since 2011-12.

Overall, Chicago has constructed a perimeter core that should complement Rose's slashing skills nicely. But take Rose out of the picture and the Bulls guards find themselves well behind the Cavaliers'.

Irving is a volcanic scorer, capable of producing game-changing eruptions at any time. The reigning All-Star Game MVP has averaged at least 20 points in each of the past two seasons, a claim only seven other players can make.

With dizzying handles and a three-point shot that is both active (career 4.5 attempts per game) and effective (career 37.8 percentage), Irving has cemented his spot among the league's scoring greats. His efficiency should improve with James and Love shouldering a lot of the defensive heat, but Uncle Drew can get buckets without any assistance.

"He's so good with the ball in his hands," wrote Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal. "... The former No. 1 pick actually scored 11.28 unassisted points per game in 2013-14, which was more than any player outside the top quartet of scoring machines."

Irving's ability alone might close this portion of the debate. But if it does, the presence of Waiters—and the promise that lies ahead of the third-year guard—seals it shut.

"A guy like [James], who's probably the best player in the world right now, is someone I can learn from," Waiters told Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer. "I can grow. I still haven't reached my peak. Now with a guy like that, he can open up the floor for you and give you a lot of opportunities."

Last season, Waiters joined Nick Young and Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford as the only reserves to average at least 15 points a night (15.9). And Waiters, an expert slasher, put up those numbers in an offense that finished just 18th in three-point percentage (35.6).

With better floor spacing, Waiters should make a sizable leap in terms of his stat sheet's quality.

Throw in the scrappy Matthew Dellavedova and the deadly-from-distance Mike Miller, and James' Cavs have a clear edge on the perimeter.

The Bigs

Neither Pau Gasol nor Taj Gibson logged 30 minutes in Chicago's season-opening 104-80 thrashing of the New York Knicks on Wednesday, but both cracked the 20-point barrier with relative ease. The pair combined for 43 points on a blistering 17-of-23 shooting.

Throw in as many disclaimers about New York's overly generous defense as you want, but the Bulls have enough frontcourt talent to produce similar numbers on a nightly basis. Heck, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah, who underwent surgery on his left knee in May, played fewer than 20 minutes. Prized rookie Nikola Mirotic only attempted two shots in his 15-plus minutes of work.

The Bulls haven't come close to laying their best hand on the table, and they already have one dominant display under their belt. Having a supremely skilled player like Gibson coming off the pine simply showcases Chicago's incredible interior depth.

"He was the best player in training camp, best player in the preseason games," Thibodeau said of Gibson. "He just goes out and does his job. Lets his performance speak for itself and that's the way it should be."

Chicago has arguably the best passing frontcourt combo in Noah and Gasol, who finished first (5.4) and third (3.4), respectively, among bigs in assists last season. The blue-collar Gibson is coming off a career year in which he posted personal bests in points (13.0) and win shares (5.7), while nearly collecting Sixth Man of the Year honors.

Wednesday's performance proved that Chicago's upgraded interior core will not diminish Gibson's impact on this team.

The Bulls were stout up front last season.

They ranked second in defensive efficiency and sixth in rebounding percentage. They had the fourth-lowest field-goal percentage against inside the restricted area (57.2).

And they have since complemented their defensive prowess by adding some explosive offensive weapons to the mix.

Gasol is a four-time All-Star with an 18.3-points-per-game career scoring average. Mirotic has the shooting touch to spread out a defense and the skills to beat his man under the basket. Fellow rookie Doug McDermott left Creighton University with the fifth-most points in NCAA history (3,150).

As strange as this sounds for a team featuring Rose at the point, the Bulls are built to dismantle teams from the inside out. That's not a knock on the former MVP, but rather a reflection of the ability packed into this front line.

The Cavs don't have the personnel to match that, which is saying quite a bit considering Love is the best player in either frontcourt.

The sweet-shooting big man finished last season ranked fourth in scoring (26.1), third in rebounding (12.5), third in player efficiency rating (26.9) and third in total win shares (14.3).

He can (and does) score from anywhere on the floor, and he possesses a once-in-a-generation gift for outlet passing, which should become even more powerful than before given the caliber of weapons at his disposal.

Because of Love's perimeter dexterity, Cavs coach David Blatt can unleash a lethal five-out look with snipers at every position. With this team's collection of cutters and passers, it should be able to carve up even the best defenses.

But looking beyond Love, there are question marks on this frontcourt.

After missing more games (166) than he has played (146) the past four seasons, Anderson Varejao needs to prove he can stay on the floor for an entire year. Tristan Thompson has a ways to go to live up to his billing as the fourth overall pick in 2011. The 36-year-old Shawn Marion will need to dig deep into his reserve fuel tanks in his 16th NBA season.

Even if all of these players are healthy and productive, this group is painfully short on rim protection. Love, Varejao and Thompson averaged a combined 1.5 blocks per game last season. If the Cavs cannot keep teams out of the lane, their opponents could have a field day under the basket.

Between Chicago's depth and Cleveland's defensive deficiencies, the frontcourt battle is a relatively easy win for the Bulls.

The Verdict

This is an unbelievably difficult call to make. Both teams look tremendous on paper, Cleveland for its top-heavy talent and Chicago for the way all of its pieces appear to fit so comfortably together.

The Eastern Conference looks like a coin flip, provided the injury imp stays out of the picture. The Bulls might have the (slightly) more successful season due to their familiarity with each other and their coach, but that isn't the question we're trying to answer.

When focusing solely on the strength of supporting casts, the Cavs get the edge by a narrow margin.

Yes, the Bulls appear to have more depth. And, yes, the San Antonio Spurs just reminded the basketball world how important balance can be.

But if "better" means "more talented," then Cleveland superstar sidekicks Irving and Love push their team over the top. Rose has teammates who can take over a game. James' can dominate an entire playoff series.

And don't discredit the potential impact of the rest of the Cavs supporting cast. If the veterans stay healthy and the young guns continue to develop, this team will attack opponents in waves that extend well outside of its talented trio.

Remember, these are two of the league's top teams, so any gap between them is going to be wafer-thin.

This discussion is no different. The Bulls are right on the Cavs' heels when it comes to their superstar support staffs, but Cleveland takes this race in a photo finish.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.

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