featured-image

Player Review 2020: Edmond Sumner

Age: 24
Years Pro: 3
Status: Entering the second year of a three-year contract that features a team option for the 2021-22 season.
Key Stats: Played in 31 games this season, including three starts. Established new career highs in points (4.9) and assists per game (1.8) while averaging over 14.4 minutes per appearance.

Including his short career at Xavier, Edmond Sumner is no stranger to injuries. Unfortunately for the young guard, he was one of several Pacers players that struggled to stay healthy at the beginning of the season.

Sumner earned an NBA contract last year thanks to impressive G League statistics while on a two-way contract, but the injury bug hampered him during the 2019-20 NBA season. However, in his limited time on the court, the 24-year-old showed the speed and agility he can bring to the Pacers squad in the future.

The Detroit native started the season positively, averaging seven points per contest while shooting over 50 percent from the floor over the first three games.

However, Sumner suffered a fracture in his right third metacarpal against the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 28, sidelining him for a chunk of games early in the season. It was during this time that Pacers' head coach Nate McMillan had to begin picking players for his 10-man rotation and Sumner's injury kept him from keeping his name in that discussion.

The young guard finally saw significant action once again in game 29 of the regular season against the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 20. Though he didn't find the bottom of the net, he managed to notch three assists and a +3 rating in his return.

Over the next 11 games, Sumner saw significant action in nine of them. The swift guard reached double digits in three of those games, including a solid 13-point performance on 5-of-9 shooting against the Miami Heat on Jan. 8. He followed that game with a 10-point performance just two nights later against the Chicago Bulls.

Edmond Sumner

Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images

But once again, a new injury stunted Sumner. A sore left hip hampered his playing time and production. From Jan. 13 to March 2, he saw action in just five games. He never played more than 9:55 in any of them.

By the end of the season, a healthier Sumner began making his case for more playing time starting in 2020-2021. His most impressive performance of the season came in the penultimate regular-season game for the Blue & Gold.

With Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Warren sitting out due to injury, he posted a season-high 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while tallying four assists in a four-point victory over the Houston Rockets on Aug 12. It appeared as if he finally got the break he's deserved.

Should he stay healthy, Pacers fans could see a solid bench player emerge out of Sumner. The guard has the skills to knife between opponents in the paint and finish at the rim. If his statistics from the G League mean anything, it means that Sumner can play at the NBA level. He just needs to avoid the injury bug.