OAKLAND — In their frenetic pursuit of attention from an NBA team, point guards Justin Cobbs and Stephen Holt had workouts Wednesday with the Warriors, a team currently without a pick in the June 26 draft.
Neither Cobbs, formerly of Cal, nor Saint Mary’s Holt is projected to be taken in the NBA draft, but this was one more opportunity for exposure on their whirlwind tours through the league.
“I am enjoying it,” said Cobbs, the biggest name among six players who got an hour on the court at the Warriors practice facility. “It’s something I’m not accustomed to yet — flying on planes, different cities, different nights.
“A lot of people want to be in my shoes, so I’m going to cherish it and keep getting better.”
The Warriors were the eighth different team to get a look at Cobbs. He left Oakland on Wednesday afternoon for Washington D.C., and will work out for the Wizards on Thursday at 9 a.m. He has at least four more workouts scheduled before the draft.
“A lot of travel,” he said.
Nearly the same pace for Holt, who made the Warriors the fourth club for which he’s shown his skills. He was headed to Cleveland immediately afterward for a Thursday session.
“Just getting my feet wet as far as traveling,” Holt said. “Going through the process like everyone else. It’s been enjoyable, making new friends and trying to make a name for myself.”
Cobbs, who averaged 15.6 points and 5.8 assists last season at Cal and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors, probably has a slightly better chance of being selected in the two-round draft than Holt. More likely, both will go the free agent route, given a chance to earn a roster spot through the NBA summer league.
Both thought they performed well for the Warriors in a workout that included shooting drills and 3-on-3 segments. And both have been encouraged by the feedback they’ve gotten throughout this process.
They were stars on their college teams, but Cobbs and Holt understand they must adapt to different roles if they hope to take the next step.
Cobbs believes his physical strength and willingness to play defense will be attractive to NBA teams. And he can envision how he fits with the Warriors.
“Steph Curry’s doing a lot of the scoring, so I’m sure he doesn’t want to chase Russell Westbrook all around. I’m a guy who can take that off him,” Cobbs said. “It’s just trying to find your niche.”
Holt played off the ball his first several seasons at Saint Mary’s, waiting his turn at point guard behind Mickey McConnell and Matthew Dellavedova, who both were Player of the Year in the West Coast Conference.
“I think the biggest misconception with me is that I’m not a true point guard. I finally got to play point guard my senior year and it went really well,” said Holt, who averaged 15.2 points and 3.9 assists last season.
“It’s a great point guard pipeline we’ve built over the years, starting with Patty Mills, who is doing his thing right now with the Spurs. I’m just trying to keep the lineage going.”
Dellavedova, who earned a spot with the Cavaliers as a free agent, has provided Holt with guidance and encouragement. Cobbs sought advice primarily from his cousin Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder star.
Both were told to arrive at workouts with energy and a good attitude, ready to play.
They key to keeping that going day after day? “Ice bath, ice bath, ice bath,” said Cobbs, with a laugh.
Follow Jeff Faraudo on Twitter at Twitter.com/JeffFaraudo.
