Veteran ready to compete
When guard Mackenzy Bernadeau signed a four-year contract as an unrestricted free agent back in March, he knew there were no guarantees about a starting spot.
And that was before his hip injury that required surgery and has kept him out all offseason. He will be on PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) when training camp officially begins next week in Oxnard, Calif.
But when he returns, he knows he will have some catching up to do.
“I plan on coming in here and making up for lost time,” Bernadeau said. “Nothing in this league is given to you. They didn’t tell me I would start. I have to earn it. And now I have some catching up to do. We’ve got some young guys battling.”
Those young guys he’s referring to are Memphis rookie Ronald Leary and David Arkin, a fourth-round pick in 2011 who was inactive every game last season.
“Those guys are going to push me and I’m going to push them,” said Bernadeau, who has 20 career starts. “Obviously my goal is to come in here and start and that hasn’t changed. I just have to get healthy and get back to work.”
