The Indiana Pacers need Edmond Sumner to take a big leap

Edmond Sumner has been an inspiring story for the Indiana Pacers over the past few years after fighting a long battle to get into the rotation. Now heading into his fifth season, Sumner has to take a large step forward if the Pacers want to win now.

Sumner was fresh off an injury when he entered the NBA and was stashed in his first season, playing just one game as a rookie and only 23 appearances in his second season. Last season, Sumner finally got some shake in the rotation when he played in 53 games and started 24 of them.

Edmond Sumner is a crucial piece for the Indiana Pacers this season

With Doug McDermott out of the picture, there is a massive hole in Indiana’s rotation. The selection of Chris Duarte will help with replacing those minutes and Justin Holiday is still a proven veteran that will have a role but Indiana needs a reliable guard in the second unit.

As things stand, the Pacers do not have a clear-cut favorite for the backup two-guard minutes next to T.J. McConnell. The Pacers do not necessarily need to have five players off the bench who can play every night, especially when they get to the playoffs, but having players who can contribute on both ends is far too valuable to pass up.

Sumner has been a very good defender when given his chance over the years. He brings a ton of speed and athleticism to that end of the floor which results in transition buckets when he gets his hands in the passing lanes.

The Pacers were not good defensively under Nate Bjorkgren but Sumner was one of the few guys who stood out on that end. If he can stay healthy this season, there is no reason to believe he will not be a high-impact player on defense.

Another thing to love about the Xavier product is his ability and willingness to attack the basket through traffic and hit tough shots at the rim. He does a great job of finishing through contact and dazzling defenses when he hangs in the air. For the Pacers, that sort of athleticism is welcomed with open arms as they look for playmakers.

I’m not going to try to predict the final rotation this early in the offseason but Indiana has plenty of young talent that can play this season. Chris Duarte was one of the stars of the 2021 NBA Summer League, as was Isaiah Jackson. Oshae Brissett flashed a ton in his brief time on the active roster last season on his way to a three-year contract.

Goga Bitadze may have a grip on the backup center job but he has to do a lot more in his third season to earn those minutes. Sumner, who is probably the best option in the backcourt, brings too much to the table to just be set aside once again.

As a huge fan of Sumner, I would love to see him continue to get his opportunities in Indiana but he has not done enough just yet to be given the job. He has done a fine job in his four years, and him coming back for Year 5 is impressive for a guy who has only played 108 games in his career.

Still, he needs to build off of his shooting performance last season. He knocked down 39.8 percent of his three-point attempts in 2020-21, far above his 26.4 percent showing the year before. If he can keep that high percentage again in 2021-22, then he will have finally shown enough to be a staple in the rotation.

Sumner took a step in the right direction last year but it was not enough on its own to justify making him the sole backup shooting guard. Can he solidify himself this season?