Jason Kapono Breaks Through Recent Shooting Slump

The Bobcats second-year forward connected on 7-of-16 field goals and 4-of-5 free throws in equaling the second-highest scoring game of his career.

“For a while, I just wasn’t feeling good out there,” said Kapono following Monday’s practice at the Bobcats Basketball Center. “I just wasn’t comfortable and wasn’t confident. On Saturday, I just tried to come out and play hard. I really wasn’t trying to stress myself out about shooting the ball. I just wanted to come out, make some plays and get back into the flow.”

After scoring in double figures in five of the first six games in February, Kapono went through a nine-game stretch in which he averaged 2.6 points, shot .175 (7-of-40) from the field and registered his first “Did Not Play – Coaches Decision” of the season. During that time, his minutes dropped from a season average of 18.0 to 11.5.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, you are always going to go through tough times, whether you’re (Michael) Jordan, Kevin Garnett, Kobe (Bryant), whoever. You’re always going to have bad games,” said Kapono. “The season is so long that you just have to keep a positive feeling and keep practicing and try to fight through those tough stretches.”

For the season, Kapono is averaging 8.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 18.0 minutes – significant improvements from the 3.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 10.4 minutes he averaged during his rookie campaign in Cleveland.

“It’s much better (in Charlotte) – everything about it,” said Kapono when asked to compare the first two seasons of his NBA career. “Obviously when you’re playing more, you feel much better because it’s something that you’ve practiced for so long. You finally have the chance to play to try to help your career and earn your stripes in this league. I just love Charlotte, it’s a better area and I’ve just had a great time here.”

Kapono currently ranks 23rd in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage at .397 (56-of-141). Bobcats General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff likes the fact that Kapono’s long-range shooting ability opens up the inside for his post players.

“What we want (Jason) to do is shoot the basketball,” said Bickerstaff. “He shot the basketball well the other night and that is what we want him to do. He stretches defenses because they respect him as a threat. Even if he’s not making shots, he still stretches the defense.”

While Kapano’s minutes have fluctuated of late, Bickerstaff says that the Bobcats will go with the hot hand.

“We’re at a point where we can play anybody at any time,” said Bickerstaff. “The bottom line is that the guys who are performing and working, we will stay with them.”

The Bobcats will get back to work on Tuesday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis against Kevin Garnett and the Timberwolves. Charlotte shocked Minnesota with a 102-84 victory at the Charlotte Coliseum on January 5.

“I think that we caught them off-guard,” said Kapono of the 18-point victory. “They maybe came into Charlotte and didn’t know what to expect and we came out and played well. They had been struggling, but they’re playing better now. They got a big win on the road against Boston on Sunday.”

While the Timberwolves have won three of their last four to even their record at 30-30, the Bobcats have been struggling to win close games. Three times in the last three weeks, Charlotte has lost in the final three seconds of the game.

“We’ve been in games late, but we just haven’t found a way to close these games out,” said Kapono. “Hopefully, we can put ourself in a position to win the game and then close it out. We just haven’t found that last play, that last rebound, that last shot to get us past that hump. All we can do is keep fighting and playing hard. Hopefully, that will lead to victory."

By: Bo Hussey, BobcatsBasketball.com