Toronto Raptors Offseason Player Evaluations: John Lucas III

Name: John Lucas III

2012-13 Statistics: 63 games played, 13.1 minutes, 5.3 points, 38.6% from the floor, 37.7% from three-point range, 1.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.4 turnovers, ??? PER (For some reason, John Lucas III has been purged from ESPN's database).

Comparison: Aquaman

Disclaimer: No, the Raptors are not the Justice League.

So Aquaman.

He's perfectly serviceable as a comic character, but he's barely even a C-list on a great team like the Justice League.

But when he needs to step up, he steps up, and he's got the wisdom and understanding of ruling the seas.

In essence, he does what he does really well.

If the Justice League has anything to do with anything water related, you couldn't ask for a better teammate. He can lead when need be and is more than serviceable. However, to the common fan, he seems pretty vanilla.

Nevertheless, for those who are true comic book fans who have seen him get reinvented in Geoff John's hands, they know that Aquaman is one of DC's stronger titles in recent years. In the right hands, in the right situations, he can be a lynchpin.

John Lucas III, on the other hand, proved on a Chicago Bulls team decimated by injury that he could fill in admirably due to his wealth of experience and his tenacity. For the entire season, he quietly played his role. Once the time came for him to step it up a notch, he seemed to do it without effort.

When Derrick Rose went down with an injury that would see him sidelined for a year, John Lucas kept the Bulls afloat.

Fast forward a year later.

On the Raptors team looking for leadership and filled with youth, he gave direction and a steady hand throughout the entire year. In a team looking for some veteran leadership, Lucas was the man.

But ask around to the average Raptor fan, and you'll probably get a bunch of scoffs and laughter. The questions that surrounded the Raptors involved whether Jose Calderon or Kyle Lowry was better. Nobody cared what Lucas could do because he just was a guy in the background.

Nevertheless, at his price, and what he brings, he's very much the "Aquaman" of this roster.

4.04 Assist to Turnover ratio, a true shooting percentage of 48.3%, and the best Raptor 3-point shooting percentage outside of anyone named Quincy, Jose, or Amir. They're not staggering numbers, but they're at least respectable and Lucas also proved that he could be streaky; something that every team needs at one point in a season.

Yes, he has weaknesses. A lack of generating steals and a lack of defense are noticeable. He probably couldn't carry a team against the hottest secondary guards for very long. And some would also say that he should have been more of a passer than a shooter when he was cold.

But he often makes his team better. At the end of the day, John Lucas gives effort and can put up numbers.

And for a supporting cast member, that's all you really need.