5 NBA Draft Experts You Should Be Following on Twitter

photo courtesy of sportsgrid.com

I consider myself to be an aficionado of the NBA draft, and in the week leading up to it, I find myself scouring every expert's Twitter page. For mock drafts, I'll usually read those of ESPN's Chad Ford. If I'm looking for general analysis, I'm quite partial to the writers at Yahoo Sports.

However, I also keep my ears open for analysts like Jay Bilas (pictured), whose unique perspective will be discussed later.

Simply put, if you're looking for news and analysis about the draft, here are five people whose Twitter accounts are musts to follow.

No. 5: Marc J. Spears, @SpearsNBAYahoo

photo courtesy of twitter.com/spearsnbayahoo

Spears writes for Yahoo Sports, and while he isn't as detailed as guys like Chad Ford, who dives right in, he's still a reliable insider. He has some great sources in the NBA world and really makes an effort to get to know the players.

This piece he wrote on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist paints a nice picture of a great player's off-court battles, turning the Kentucky star into more than just someone we hope to turn a team around once he is drafted. Similarly, he did a great writeup on Damian Lillard.

He isn't the first one to turn to by any means, but is still a mark for putting out great material.

No. 4: Fran Fraschilla, @franfraschilla

photo courtesy of twitter.com/franfraschilla

Sometimes, it helps to have the perspective of someone who isn't just another writer and fan. That's why Fran Fraschilla is a good man to follow because as a former college coach, it's safe to say he has a good eye for talent.

Although, I'm not sure I agree with him saying that Andre Drummond will go in the top five...

No. 3: Jay Bilas, @JayBilas

photo courtesy of twitter.com/jaybilas

Jay Bilas is more of a draft analyst than an expert, and his Twitter feed doesn't make much mention of the big event. However, he's still an important man to pay attention to because unlike most draft experts, he has a unique perspective.

An ex-college player, Bilas was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the fifth round of the 1986 draft, and though he never played one NBA game, he knows how players think going into the process and thus provides a different point of view than most others.

No. 2: Sam Amick, @sam_amick

photo courtesy of twitter.com/sam_amick

Amick is a big NBA guy over at Sports Illustrated and on top of stellar analysis, he has a knack for stirring the debate pot with his mock drafts. The only knock against him is that he only does the first round, while others do a full two-rounder.

Still, Amick knows his stuff and has a great voice to his writing. He is passionate about the subject and spares no details even while keeping things concise.

No. 1: Chad Ford, @chadfordinsider

photo courtesy of twitter.com/chadfordinsider

When it comes to Chad Ford of ESPN, it's hard to find a better draft guru. This guy practically lives and dies by the NBA draft as he has new analysis on players with each day that goes by.

To further put him on the draft expert pedestal, this guy puts out mock drafts like nobody's business. The latest one titled "Mock Draft: Version 9.2" has some great insight and definitely has some debatable picks in there. Then again, isn't that why we love the NBA draft?