Indiana Pacers season review: Edmond Sumner earned minutes
By Luke Parrish
Edmond Sumner finally broke out for the Indiana Pacers
The Pacers’ offense was pretty high-scoring last season so Sumner was not typically a go-to guy. He had his moments both off the bench and as a start, however, that proved that he has to be respected all over the floor. He scored at least 18 points in four games last season and hit four three-pointers in two of those four games.
Not only was he free to shoot but he was also capable of knocking down his shots. That was a massive development for Sumner and the Pacers after he looked like the furthest thing from a shooter early on.
In his first three seasons, Sumner averaged just 4.0 points per game on .406/.263/.585 shooting splits. Last season, his 7.5 points per game were accompanied by much better shooting numbers. He upped his field goal percentage to 52.5 percent, his three-point percentage to 39.8 percent, and his free throw shooting to 81.9 percent.
Jumping up 13 percent on threes and over 23 percent on his free throws proves that Sumner put in the work in the offseason. Adding a perimeter shot to his bag only helped him earn minutes last season.
With Aaron Holiday struggling to hit shots and Jeremy Lamb battling with injuries, Sumner emerged as the best option off the bench as the off-ball guard. If the Pacers lose McConnell, Holiday, or McDermott in the offseason, they have a good young option already on the roster that they can turn to.