NBA Draft Twitter Starter Pack

Today marks the beginning of my favorite section of the year. With the Champions Classic tipping off on Tuesday night, the 2020 NBA Draft cycle officially begins. Though many draft enthusiasts have been working on the 2020 draft since long before today, this is a solid demarcation point for the genesis of a new cycle.
My introduction to Draft Twitter came around this time last year. I was always enthralled by the NBA draft, producing content for quite a while without knowledge of what I was doing or the Twittersphere as a whole. Last summer, I came across the Hardwood Homies podcast, hosted by Jackson Hoy and Mike Gribanov. I couldn’t quit listening to those two minds break down prospects. I thought I had found a new hobby. Little did I know those two hosts would become friends and I’d become as engulfed by the draft as possible.
I decided to try my hand at some Stepien-style draft content, inspired by the fantastic work of Mike, Jackson, Ben Rubin, Cole Zwicker, JZ Mazlish and more. I began threading clips on Twitter, though it took a while for me to learn how to thread. I wrote about Jon Elmore. I’d rather people not see that take. I improved as a scout and as a content creator. Draft Twitter had consumed my life.
I’m writing this piece because it’s something I wish I had a year ago. The NBA draft and Draft Twitter have impacted my life in such a positive fashion and opened so many doors and it can do the same for anyone else. A year ago, I was an unknown. Today, I’m an unknown with 3,100 friends I have the pleasure of sharing my passion with. I’ve already seen Draft Twitter grow over this year and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
The bulk of this piece will be a comprehensive list of all of the members of Draft Twitter who I believe will make your life better. I’ll inevitably miss somebody, so feel free to call me out and add your favorites I missed.
Remember, this is all for fun. Try not to take the draft too seriously. Deciphering prospects is an escape from the stresses of everyday life, so enjoy it like one.
Cole Zwicker is Draft Twitter’s beloved king, no matter what his Twitter bio might tell you. If you’re not following Cole already, you’re doing something wrong. He’s the total package, smart analysis, clips, GIFs aplenty and novels passing as Stepien pieces. Aside from his genius, Cole is one of the most humble people I know. In discourse, he treats everyone and their ideas the same, with thoughtfulness and respect, whether they have a blue check, thousands of followers or it’s their first day on Twitter. For that, he’s the consummate package and Draft Twitter embodied.
Mike Gribanov’s compendium of prospect knowledge is interminable. There’s a reason Jackson Hoy celebrated when he named a prospect Mike didn’t know on an old podcast. Random senior at Colorado A&M? Mike’s seen him. Small school sophomore no recruiting service has caught onto? Mike’s seen him. The true authority on amateur basketball, Mike’s knowledge of the high school scene and track record with early predictions (he holds the distinguished title of being first on Zion) is insane. For this, he deserves immense respect.
Ross Homan is as well-rounded as they come. He is an EYBL aficionado, studies the international game diligently and produces excellent content at the Stepien. I’m not sure how to describe Ross other than he’s a good take machine: he breathes smart basketball analysis. Few guys have opinions as trustworthy as Ross’s, making him a must-follow for any draft fans.
Ricky Scricca and Ignacio Rissotto have all of your international prospect needs covered. Between both of them, there’s not a relevant overseas prospect they haven’t seen and analyzed. From their thorough coverage of the summer FIBA youth tournaments to the Belgian second division, Ricky and Ignacio have you covered. The international scene is a blind spot for many Draft fans, making Ricky and Ignacio vital to the complete Draft experience.
Cosmis pulls you in with memes and shenanigans, but his account has it all. His stat lists are some of my favorite content on Draft Twitter, parsing through Basketball Reference to unearth datapoints about prospects galore. His big boards, mock drafts and draft analysis is all top tier. Cosmis is a true renaissance man of Draft Twitter.
Spencer Pearlman’s video production is unmatched. He’s evolved this offseason, adding eye-popping edits and overlays to his already excellent video breakdowns. Spencer makes everything easy to digest and the minutiae of scouting digestible for anyone.
Zach Milner is another video expert, posting thorough videos breaking down a player’s performance. Along with live clips and one-offs, these videos help paint a more complete of how a prospect played. His analysis is always smart and insightful, providing far more than surface-level observations in his Tweets, articles and clips.
Max Carlin clips like nobody else. He’s up until the deep hours of the night, posting clips and thoughts to Twitter on a wide variety of prospects. When games are happening, he’s the one clipping plays live so nobody misses the action. Aside from his clips, he’s one of my favorite writers, producing engaging content on the NBA Draft.
Jackson Frank is Draft Twitter’s Shakespeare. He’s the best writer on Draft Twitter (and one of the best in general). His draft pieces are a joy to read and flow as few others do. Along with video clips and feature articles, Jackson is the expert on Gonzaga basketball, one of the most perennially relevant programs for the NBA draft and is one of the nicest guys you will meet. He’s a must follow.
Advancedstats23 (Phil)’s question and answer sessions are some of my favorite Draft Twitter content. He’s one of the smartest scouts and picking his brain to gain new insights on the draft is incredibly valuable. For his big board, various draft databases and general NBA Draft content, Phil is an integral part of Draft Twitter and someone everyone needs to follow.
Mikey Visenberg is the measurement king. If you’re in a discussion and ask about a measurement, Mikey will chime in with it. Seriously, try it. His coverage of big high school events is awesome and he brings a valuable angle being so in tune with younger prospects.
J. Kyle Mann, the mastermind behind The Dime Drop (and more video content for the Ringer) brings the Draft to life. Aside from his status as the only Kentucky fan who isn’t insufferable, his video content is top-notch, with excellent writing, beautiful graphics and smart analysis. He’s as much an analyst as he is an entertainer and those two combined creates someone who improves the experience for everyone
Trevor Magnotti brings more to the table than excellent draft articles and podcasts. His end of year spoonerisms and love for thick, jacked frames make his Twitter account more entertaining than one with just raw analysis.
Sam Mazzullo is constantly engaging in smart discussions, learning and teaching about the draft and dishing out smart takes on prospects. Discourse with Sam is always valuable, not only for his smart analysis, but his consideration of every side of the argument.
Eustacchio Raulli, Alex West, Alessandro Cozzi, James Kemmerer and the rest of the Red Team Scouting crew are innovative. With their grading system, Red team is taking a new approach to quantifying scouting. I’m excited to see how their system improves this year (also, listen to their podcast!).
Polarfall is a genius, though he’s too humble to ever call himself such. His understanding of biomechanics and the little details of the game along with the big picture bring a new element to scouting and a new lens to analyze prospects through
Reece Collins is another biomechanics guru. Again, his attention to detail is a welcome addition to draft analysis.
Cameron Purn is writing again. Thank the heavens! He’s one of the smartest and most versatile scouts, with a deep understanding of subtle details, leading to some of the smartest overall takes on players. His Tweets on statistics, detailed film breakdowns and game notes are some of my favorites to consume.
Anocturnalduck has one of the most unique draft philosophies out of anyone on Draft Twitter. Through his use of stat models and predictors combined with an acute eye for film, his draft analysis is a breath of fresh air along with being well informed and insightful. There’s no way he should have under 200 followers. Support his content.
Starr bucks the trend. Draft Twitter thought can fall victim to Groupthink at times with such a stark contrast to the mainstream. Starr brings a different point of view while also being informed, prioritizing self-creation in his evals in a sea of people who value feel and IQ. It is always important to have multiple perspectives in discourse and Starr isn’t afraid to stick to his guns, no matter who disagrees and for that, I have great respect for him.
Rol is the most underrated member of Draft Twitter. His follower count — just under 500 — is criminal for a scout with some of the smartest observations on Twitter. I genuinely feel smarter every time I scroll through his feed and my sources indicate there’s a chance he could be writing draft content this year, which would be fantastic. I can’t wait to see what is coming from Rol. Hop on the bandwagon while you can.
Beenthrifty (Francis) posts thoughtful, inquisitive and entertaining draft content. He’s easy to discuss with, funny and as smart as they come (and he’ll retweet your content because he’s a supportive friend).
Ben Rosales, Mike Garcia and Eccentricladdie all brand themselves primarily as members of Lakers Twitter, but they are worth a follow for NBA Draft fans. If you can stomach the Lakers content (kidding! (not kidding)), their discussions on prospects in the specific context of one NBA team are valuable as most draft content is far more generalized.
Javier Pesquera is looking like the only scout who was high enough on Tyler Herro, for that alone, he’s worth your follow. Javier is smart, strongly opinionated and is highly knowledgeable of foreign basketball.
Jon Chepkevich helps run the Pro Basketball Combine, a secondary combine for the NBA Draft. Plenty of important prospects don’t get an invite to the NBA combine and show out at PBC, making it an important event to keep tabs on. For all of your PBC updates, Jon is the guy to find.
Brian Geisinger has all of your ACC needs covered. He dives deep into one of the most draft-relevant conferences in the nation, giving us a deeper look into the prospects of the ACC than many can offer.
Evan Zamir is the founder of NBAWOWY, the Kevin Huerter stan and the main proponent of fat upside, an oft-misunderstood concept in scouting prospects. He’s also started a top lines newsletter, making him an uber-valuable follow.
Kevin Sweeney doesn’t explicitly cover the NBA Draft, but he is the most comprehensive mind when it comes to college basketball. He previewed every single team in the nation in depth. That’s insane. When studying prospects, it is important to understand the context of the college basketball scene. For that, Kevin’s content is key.
Trevor William Marks will Tweet a lot about Cole Anthony, so there’s a reason to follow him right off of the back. He’ll be the authority on all things UNC draft and his draft breakdowns are some of the most in-depth.
Ben Rubin isn’t technically on Twitter anymore (well, he doesn’t Tweet), but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of the best draft writers on the internet. With unique takes and incredibly smart analysis, his pieces on the Stepien are a must-read.
Dancingwithnoah has one of the most unique scouting eyes in the community. His scouting dump pieces are such an awesome idea and are a joy to read.
Mitch Libanoff’s detail with which he scouts and watches tape is really excellent. His scouting reports at the Stepien and video thread content is great.
A few more notes:
-Improving my note-taking process was crucial to my improvement as a scout and a writer. Jackson Hoy shared his process with me last year and it has done wonders for me. I want to pass it on here. The important thing is to find a system that works for you, but this one has been great for me. Here is a sample game:

-Finding game film can be tough. For college games, your best publicly available bets are Youtube, WatchESPN and bugging your friends who have a Synergy account until they cave in. For high school and international games, Youtube and Facebook have plenty.
-Barttorvik.com is a resource every draft fan should be using. For individual and team statistics, there isn’t a better free and public database out there.
My DMs are always open. Feel free to shoot questions whenever and enjoy the start of the college basketball season.
