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Player profile · GSW / HOU / MIL / SAS / SEA / WSB
John Lucas
John Lucas stats, teams and career impact
#214 all-timeCareer averages · 10.7 PPG · 2.3 RPG · 7.0 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Point guard
- Final NBA team
- Houston Rockets
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) · 175 lb (79 kg)
- Born
- October 31, 1953 (72 yrs old)
- College
- Maryland
- NBA seasons
- 14 seasons · 1976–77 to 1989–90
Career summaryJohn Lucas was a point guard who played 14 NBA seasons, from 1976–77 through 1989–90.
- Career PPG
- 10.7
- Career RPG
- 2.3
- Career APG
- 7.0
- #18 in 1986–87
- #214 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why John Lucas ranks #214 all time
John Lucas ranks #214 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #24.0. His full-career value ranks #254, so this placement is driven more by dominance than longevity.
450+ minutes required per season
928 games · Career Value Rank #254
Head to head
Compare John Lucas with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- John Lucas vs. Mike Bibby Similar career path
- John Lucas vs. CJ McCollum Similar career path
- John Lucas vs. Lenny Wilkens Similar career path
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- John Lucas vs. Dan Majerle Similar career path
- John Lucas vs. Rickey Green Similar career path
- John Lucas vs. Greg Ballard Same-era comparison
- John Lucas vs. World B. Free Same-era comparison
- John Lucas vs. Bernard King Same-era comparison
- John Lucas vs. Cedric Maxwell Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Washington Bullets, San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks, and Seattle SuperSonics
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 44.9%FG%
- Three-point
- 30.3%3P%
- Free throw
- 77.6%FT%
928 career games · 25,556 minutes
Sources and updateConventional stats and measurements: Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 13, 2026. hussEyquation ranking data through 2025–26. Life dates: Wikidata; conflicting dates checked against Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 17, 2026.
Traditional box score
John Lucas stats by season
Start with scoring and impact, then switch views for shooting or the full advanced picture. Career percentages use total makes and attempts.
Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →
| 1989–90 | 5.8 | 1.8 | 4.9 | -1.01 | HOU | 49 | 18 | 19.1 | 37.5% | 29.9% | 76.4% | #157 | 19.5 |
| 1988–89 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 3.5 | +2.27 | SEA | 74 | 8 | 11.4 | 39.8% | 26.5% | 70.1% | #31 | 74.9 |
| 1987–88 | 9.2 | 2.0 | 4.8 | +1.61 | MIL | 81 | 22 | 21.8 | 44.5% | 33.8% | 80.2% | #39 | 129.7 |
| 1986–87 | 17.5 | 2.9 | 6.7 | +3.63 | MIL | 43 | 40 | 31.6 | 45.7% | 36.5% | 78.7% | #18 | 159.7 |
| 1985–86 | 15.5 | 2.2 | 8.8 | +1.81 | HOU | 65 | 65 | 32.6 | 44.6% | 30.8% | 77.5% | #38 | 174.2 |
| 1984–85 | 11.4 | 1.8 | 6.8 | +2.27 | HOU | 47 | 21 | 24.6 | 46.2% | 31.8% | 79.8% | #28 | 105.3 |
| 1983–84 | 10.9 | 2.9 | 10.7 | +2.12 | SAS | 63 | 39 | 28.7 | 46.2% | 27.5% | 76.4% | #26 | 165.3 |
| 1982–83 | 4.1 | 0.8 | 2.9 | +0.67 | WSB | 35 | 0 | 11.0 | 47.3% | 0.0% | 50.0% | — | 21.3 |
| 1981–82 | 8.4 | 2.1 | 7.0 | +1.47 | WSB | 79 | 53 | 24.6 | 42.6% | 9.1% | 78.4% | #42 | 139.6 |
| 1980–81 | 8.4 | 2.3 | 7.0 | -2.61 | GSW | 66 | 0 | 29.1 | 43.9% | 16.7% | 73.8% | #208 | -24.5 |
| 1979–80 | 12.6 | 2.8 | 7.5 | +0.45 | GSW | 80 | 0 | 34.5 | 46.7% | 28.6% | 76.8% | #72 | 141.5 |
| 1978–79 | 16.1 | 3.0 | 9.3 | +1.44 | GSW | 82 | 82 | 37.7 | 46.2% | — | 82.2% | #46 | 226.4 |
| 1977–78 | 12.4 | 3.1 | 9.4 | +1.03 | HOU | 82 | 82 | 35.8 | 43.5% | — | 77.2% | #54 | 187.8 |
| 1976–77 | 11.1 | 2.7 | 5.6 | -0.49 | HOU | 82 | 0 | 30.9 | 47.7% | — | 78.9% | #119 | 80.5 |
| Career | 10.7 | 2.3 | 7.0 | — | GSW/HOU/MIL/SAS/SEA/WSB | 928 | — | 27.5 | 44.9% | 30.3% | 77.6% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
What these measures mean
- Era-centered box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average.
- Impact Rate Rank
- The player's place among qualified players in one season.
- Value contribution / Season Value
- Completed seasons use a fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. The live season instead uses Season Value, combining that season's impact with workload.
- Career Impact Rank
- An all-time rank weighted toward the player's best three, five, and ten seasons.
28.3 composite · lower is better
28.2 average league finish
1,601 total value
Career standing
How John Lucas ranks all time
These are league placements, not raw scores. Each season is judged against that season's qualified player pool.
Best in the league
Elite finishes
Upper-tier finishes
Tie-breaker across top-ten seasons
Career Composite Score28.3
Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish just below the player's typical qualified field. Lower is better.
- Best 3 effective weight
- 74%
- Missing-season finish
- 252.0
- Qualified seasons
- 13
- All-time rank
- #214
Strongest seasons
Every season
John Lucas advanced stats by season
Era-centered box impact supports comparisons through time. Impact Rate and its rank compare players only within that season.
More advanced statsAge, minutes, impact, rank, value and data coverage
Scroll for more columns
| 1989–90Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 36 | 49 | 938 | -1.01 | 45.6 | #157 | 19.5 | 41st | Standard |
| 1988–89Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 35 | 74 | 842 | +2.27 | 88.6 | #31 | 74.9 | 61st | Standard |
| 1987–88Historical Defense Estimate | MIL | 34 | 81 | 1,766 | +1.61 | 84.8 | #39 | 129.7 | 77th | Broad |
| 1986–87Historical Defense Estimate | MIL | 33 | 43 | 1,358 | +3.63 | 93.4 | #18 | 159.7 | 81st | Broad |
| 1985–86Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 32 | 65 | 2,120 | +1.81 | 85.4 | #38 | 174.2 | 84th | Broad |
| 1984–85Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 31 | 47 | 1,158 | +2.27 | 89.3 | #28 | 105.3 | 68th | Broad |
| 1983–84Historical Defense Estimate | SAS | 30 | 63 | 1,807 | +2.12 | 89.9 | #26 | 165.3 | 84th | Broad |
| 1982–83Historical Defense Estimate | WSB | 29 | 35 | 386 | +0.67 | — | — | 21.3 | — | Limited |
| 1981–82Historical Defense Estimate | WSB | 28 | 79 | 1,940 | +1.47 | 83.9 | #42 | 139.6 | 81st | Broad |
| 1980–81Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 27 | 66 | 1,919 | -2.61 | 16.5 | #208 | -24.5 | 11th | Broad |
| 1979–80Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 26 | 80 | 2,763 | +0.45 | 69.3 | #72 | 141.5 | 77th | Broad |
| 1978–79Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 25 | 82 | 3,095 | +1.44 | 80.2 | #46 | 226.4 | 85th | Broad |
| 1977–78Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 24 | 82 | 2,933 | +1.03 | 77.5 | #54 | 187.8 | 83rd | Broad |
| 1976–77Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 23 | 82 | 2,531 | -0.49 | 51.4 | #119 | 80.5 | 59th | Broad |
Career movement
John Lucas's career impact by season
Peak +3.63 in 1986–87 · 14 seasons · 25,556 minutes
The same historical box-score model is used for every season, making the career shape comparable through time. The vertical scale adapts to this player's range and always includes zero.
Era-centered box impactMinutes
Player-specific impact scaleWorkload
Career comparison
Compare the shape, not the calendar
Align by NBA experience to compare season one with season one, or by age to compare players at the same stage of life.
John LucasMike Bibby
| NBA season | John Lucas | Mike Bibby |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -0.5 | -0.9 |
| 2 | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| 3 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| 4 | 0.4 | -0.3 |
| 5 | -2.6 | 1.6 |
| 6 | 1.5 | 2.3 |
| 7 | 0.7 | 3.2 |
| 8 | 2.1 | 2.0 |
| 9 | 2.3 | 0.6 |
| 10 | 1.8 | -0.3 |
| 11 | 3.6 | 2.0 |
| 12 | 1.6 | -0.2 |
| 13 | 2.3 | -0.8 |
| 14 | -1.0 | -1.9 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to John Lucas
The career-similarity score compares era-centered box impact, peak, prime, workload, career length, position, and experience-aligned trajectory. It describes career shape, not playing style, equal ability, or probability.
PG · All-Time Career #430
Mike Bibby
93career similarity score
79/100 closest-season score · 1986–87 ↔ 2007–08SG · All-Time Career #372CJ McCollum
91career similarity score
88/100 closest-season score · 1986–87 ↔ 2020–21PG · All-Time Career #81Lenny Wilkens
91career similarity score
85/100 closest-season score · 1986–87 ↔ 1974–75Impact Rate shows how strong a player was compared with everyone else that season. Season Value adds how much he played; completed player-profile rows instead show each season's fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. Career Impact Rank rewards a high peak, a long prime, and repeated seasons near the top. Older seasons use clearly labeled estimates where the NBA did not record today's full set of statistics. Read how every ranking works →