Chicago Bulls: Is John Lucas III Playing His Way into the Rotation?

JLIII (not to be confused with CP3 or RGIII) might look way too much like Carlton from Fresh Prince to be taken seriously on the hallowed hardwood. At 29 years of age and standing a reported 5'11", it's not far-fetched to imagine him as the older but diminutive cousin to Derrick Rose's younger, taller and smooth-talking Will Smith.

The elbow injury suffered by backup point guard C.J. Watson meant the backup's backup was elevated to first understudy early on. Although Tom Thibodeau seems hellbent on squeezing every possible second out of Rose, Lucas managed to take off the warmups for an average of 10.5 minutes in his first seven games.

Lucas may not have turned the tide in any of them (five blowout wins, one close W and the blowout loss to Atlanta), but he made his presence known by getting more involved in the flow more than ever before in his short career. He took and made more than double the amount of shots per game than in the previous three years and made seven of 15 three-point attempts.

Watching him on court, an air of confidence not found in many third-string point guards was apparent.

And then, as is turning out to be the trend in Chicago sports, the only person standing in his way of the starting lineup (Rose) was forced out with a toe injury and JLIII was promoted to top dog.

Just like that Lucas went from getting the Scals treatment to hearing his name and alma mater called before tip-off.

How did Lucas handle the occasion? In the most un-Carlton fashion possible, like a boss.

The Oklahoma State product hit 11 of 28 shots, good for 25 points in a game that featured a grand total of six players in double figures. Lucas dropped Rose-like numbers, flirting with a triple double by dishing eight assists and grabbing eight boards in a tiring 46 minutes.

What was most impressive about his performance against the lowly Wizards was his fearlessness in both attacking the rim with no regard for his body and shooting until his arms nearly fell off (28 shots, more than Kobe Bryant's league-leading average of 24.3) despite missing a handful of them.

Thrust into a significant role on court for the first time in his fourth season as a pro, Carlt—I mean John Lucas III—is making every minute count, and with good reason.

Tom Thibodeau coaches all 48 minutes of every game, whether the Bulls are up 30 or down 30. What happens in those situations is no less important to him than when Chicago is grinding out a close game. He is also unafraid to bench his starters and rely heavily on subs when it proves to be effective.

With that in mind, Lucas' recent string of appearances was no less an audition than if he were in front of a panel of judges singing his heart out, even if Rose and Watson are expected back Friday and Monday, respectively.

JLIII will likely be back to spot minutes next week, but Thibodeau and the rest of the Chicago Bulls organization can sleep well at night knowing they have a dependable third option at the point in a compressed season that has already seen a rash of injuries.