Three Much Easier Than Two for Kapono

Fun with numbers: Jason Kapono, the best shooter among the Bruins, is shooting 10%.

Sort of. Kapono is shooting 43% overall, with this weird breakdown: On three-point tries, he’s shooting 59% (13 for 22). On two-pointers, he’s shooting 10% (one for 10).

Opponents are playing much more zone defense against UCLA this season, Kapono said, forcing him to take deeper shots more often. As the Bruins’ inside game blossoms, and opponents are forced to pay closer attention to center Dan Gadzuric, Kapono should be open for the 15-foot jump shot.

“That’s when he’s at his best,” Coach Steve Lavin said. “Over the course of the season, we’ll have a little more offensive balance.”

Kapono shot 47% on three-pointers last season, best in the Pacific 10 Conference, and 56% on two-pointers. Last summer, as he considered jumping to the NBA, he worked on shooting the longer NBA three-pointers, and he has displayed that range this season.

“Since I’ve worked on it, I might as well not pass those shots up,” Kapono said. “I can still pull up and hit jump shots, not just hit threes.”