The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Drafting Edmond Sumner Would Be Worth The Risk

By James Niescier

Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Edmond Sumner (4) works around Wisconsin Badgers guard Jordan Hill (11) during the first half of the second round in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Edmond Sumner (4) works around Wisconsin Badgers guard Jordan Hill (11) during the first half of the second round in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Edmond Sumner is a high risk, high reward prospect for the Philadelphia 76ers that could either be a starting point guard or too injury prone to see the court.

Edmond Sumner has all the tools to be a starter at the NBA level. Unfortunately he has been plagued with injuries. Sumner was shut down after his freshmen year at Xavier due to knee tendinitis and then tore his Labrum on January 10th, followed by an ACL tear on January 29th this season. With a year of recovery ahead, Sumner decided it would be best to do his recovery with the assistance of a professional franchise. Due to these injuries, Sumner is expected to fall to the early second round where the Philadelphia 76ers could draft him and use a two-way contract, giving him time to recover and gain experience in the G-League when he is healthy.

Live Feed

Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery?
Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery? /

Swarm and Sting

  • Cleveland Cavaliers’ 10 biggest draft busts since 2000King James Gospel
  • Latest 2024 mock draft has Washington Wizards land an explosive athleteWiz of Awes
  • 3 reasons why Johnny Davis may never grow to his draft positionWiz of Awes
  • Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron JamesHoops Habit
  • Where do the Washington Wizards rank in terms of future draft assets?Wiz of Awes

    • Sumner played as the lead guard for Xavier, giving him some much needed ball-handling and decision making experience. With a 17.6 percent turnover rate, taking care of the ball will be a big area of improvement for Sumner. With experience and practice, we can expect the rate to decrease but Sumner does not need to be the lead guard to be successful.

    Standing 6-6 with a 6-8 wingspan, Sumner is always a threat slashing to the rim where he can explode for a highlight dunk. Sumner has shown a knack for finishing in traffic by either euro stepping around defenders or jumping into rim protectors and adjusting for a finish. His ball handling could use some work and he seems to have a tougher time beating defenders to his left and when he does, he will try to switch back to his right hand for the finish.

    Sumner can get tunnel vision on his drives and rarely finds a shooter open on the perimeter. He does well to keep an eye out for the big occupying the paint but his passing accuracy is abysmal especially on the move.

    Where Sumner excels is in the open floor, where he seems to finish with ease. His impressive athleticism makes him a defender’s nightmare. In isolation, Sumner’s first step was able to turn any guard at the collegiate level and he has the height to pass over the top of the defense as well. Sumner’s shot is his biggest concern as a prospect. Shooting 27.3 percent from three does not represent how much work he needs on his jumper. His mechanics vary from shot to shot and you will never know in which direction he will miss. The arc on his shot and release point change depending on if the shot is contested. His flick of the wrist can be exaggerated to a multitude of extents which has resulted in air balls from uncontested threes.

    MORE DRAFT: Grading the Top Prospects' Fit with Ben Simmons

    This lack of a jumper allows opponents to sag off and take away his best offensive ability, attacking the rim. Sumner lacks the advanced ball handling to create space of and the drive and take a pull up jumper. This complete lack of a jumper pigeonholes Sumner offensively as a one dimensional guard.

    On the defensive side of the ball, Sumner will be able to shut down the opposing lead guard. He has tremendous lateral movement to go along with his explosive vertical and length. Getting into passing lanes and deflecting passes is something that Sumner never had trouble with. When Sumner gets placed in a pick-and-roll, he can use his thin frame to slip around screens and uses his long arms to prevent an entry pass to the diving big. Off the ball, Sumner lacks the urgency to stick with his man and will jog behind his defender until he receives the ball under the basket resulting in an easy two points. Excluding his off the ball engagement, Sumner has the tools to contest Frank Ntilinka for the best defensive guard of the class.

    Next: Sixers' End of Season Grades

    The most important factor in Sumner’s development will be his ability to stay healthy. A majority of his weaknesses are due to lack of experience against higher competition. Spending a year or two improving on these weaknesses while solidifying his shooting mechanics could turn Sumner into an NBA quality two-way guard that is worth the risk with the 36th pick in the draft.