The day earlier than Edmond Sumner’s marriage ceremony, he was within the fitness center, figuring out and rehabbing his torn Achilles tendon.
The day earlier than flying to Bora Bora for his South Pacific honeymoon? He was again once more, placing in that sweat fairness in an Indiana fitness center.
The Nets ended their sorry 2021-22 season vowing to get again to their gritty id and work ethic, and one factor is crystal clear: Their new guard matches the invoice.
“Ed is simply essentially the most professional’s professional you’re going to satisfy, within the sense that he doesn’t miss days. This man trains,” Sumner’s coach, Mike Robertson, informed The Put up. “Actually, this man skilled the Thursday earlier than his marriage ceremony. He bought married on a Friday, got here in Sunday earlier than he left for his honeymoon.
“He simply doesn’t miss days, he doesn’t skip exercises. That’s a testomony to who he's and the type of man that you simply’re getting there. He’s only a nice human being. He’s going to punch the clock, he’s going to proceed to not simply work exhausting for himself however to elevate the others up round him. And he’s only a world-class human being. [Nets fans] are going to like him.”
For Sumner, it’s nearly ensuring these Nets followers get an opportunity to like him. He was waived shortly after being acquired by the Nets in an October commerce with the Pacers, and he had not suited up for Brooklyn. He rejoined the workforce on a two-year $4.2 million free-agent contract in July. However of his $1.9 million wage this season, solely $250,000 is assured and simply $500,000 on Opening Evening. The second yr is non-guaranteed.
On a roster rife with harm considerations, Sumner is one. Sumner, T.J. Warren, Ben Simmons, Joe Harris and Seth Curry are all coming off surgical procedures, and the primary three didn't play a second within the 2021-22 season.
Sumner has spent the previous yr recovering from a torn left Achilles suffered figuring out — naturally — in September 2021, every week earlier than camp. After seeing how Kevin Durant recovered from his personal ruptured Achilles, Sumner picked Dr. Martin O’Malley — additionally the Nets’ foot specialist — to do his surgical procedure.
“I see how Kevin got here again from his harm and got here to being probably the greatest gamers on the earth,” Sumner mentioned on the “Voice of the Nets” podcast. “I used to be like, ‘Who did his surgical procedure? I have to go to that individual!’ I want this executed proper.”
Even executed proper, the highway again was arduous. His rehab moved from being break up between the Pacers and Robertson to virtually fully with Robertson, the co-owner of IFast — which has additionally skilled Glenn Robinson III, Sean McDermott and Kelan Martin.
By February, Sumner was dunking once more. And in June, regardless of not having the ability to go 5-on-5 — his power as an open-court participant — he had sufficient explosion to impress the Nets in a exercise. And that explosion didn’t come simply.
Summer time not solely underwent hyperbaric oxygen remedy (respiration pure oxygen in a chamber with the air stress elevated two and even threefold), but in addition did quadruple the same old quantity of periods.
“The usual protocol is 5 instances every week for 2 weeks,” Robertson informed The Put up. “That dude, he did 40 periods over the subsequent eight weeks … to expedite the therapeutic course of and get that Achilles healed sooner. … He simply knew precisely how you can assault the method.”
Sadly for Sumner, he’s an skilled rehabber. He’d already handled tendinitis, a torn ACL and shoulder surgical procedures, the primary cause he has logged simply 108 NBA video games in 5 years.
Sumner’s greatest season proved to be his final wholesome one, when he averaged 7.5 factors in 53 video games, each career-highs, in 2020-21. He’s assured of getting again to his open courtroom greatest, nonetheless the Nets choose to make use of him or with no matter lineups.
“It doesn’t matter who’s going to be round Ed. He’s going to discover a method to slot in and produce and assist the workforce be slightly bit higher,” Robertson mentioned. “So I feel [fans] are going to like him.
“He’s going to be proper the place he must be. … He’s again into 5-on-5 now, getting up and down the courtroom. The final stage now could be getting used to taking part in often, getting his legs beneath him. … I’m assured he’s going to be again and searching superb come the beginning of the yr.”
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