Kapono knows his range is key to this team

You can’t accuse Jason Kapono of not understanding his role.

Yesterday, Kapono, the 76ers’ brand new designated shooter – acquired from the Toronto Raptors last week in exchange for rough-and-tumble power forward Reggie Evans – spoke about how he might help the Sixers.

Although clearly an exaggeration, Kapono said he realized he was a shooter when he was 6 years old – because he “couldn’t really run, dribble or dunk.”

Of course, Kapono’s skills are more polished than that, but it will be his precise outside shooting the Sixers most covet.

Kapono said his outside shot should spread the floor for a Sixers team that finished the previous two seasons as the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA.

“When things collapse and tighten up and the defense allows you to get three-point shots off, it’s my job to make those,” said Kapono, whose career 45.4 percent three-point percentage is tied with Steve Kerr for the highest in NBA history.

Kapono said the trade surprised him, and although he knew he might be a guy Toronto moved, he hadn’t heard Philly as a destination.

Kapono said he has spoken to new Sixers coach Eddie Jordan.

“We didn’t specifically talk about what type of role, minutes-wise . . .” Kapono said. “It’s too early in the process.”

In Toronto, where Kapono’s three-point shooting percentage dipped last season to 42.8 percent – still better than any steady player on the Sixers’ roster – the Raptors had fewer athletic, explosive penetrators than the Sixers.

And because the Sixers – specifically guard Lou Williams and forwards Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala – can get to the rim, Kapono might find himself with more open outside shots.

“It’s a two-way street,” Kapono said. “More likely I’m going to benefit more because I’m not a guy who’s going to create my own shot.

“Basketball is played at its best when you put the defense in a position where they have to choose. When you make the defense get caught in a bind . . . as long as you have a balance, you have to have the shooter to counter that, that’s what allows a team to go far.” -philly inquire

Well glad to see that he knows hes to just throw up 3 bombs and that we finally got someone that can do that.  I personally liked this move a lot and think that Kapono has a lot to offer us here.