Must-follow Twitter accounts for every NBA team
SI.com's Twitter 100 is a fine collection of worthy follows spanning the sports universe, but the list may not suit the needs of those keyed in solely on the NBA. Never fear; as a companion to that general sports list, The Point Forward has endeavored to identify the top feeds from the deep ranks of the NBA media. Here are our essential follows on a team-by-team basis.
Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics: Paul Flannery (@Pflanns). Flannery's recent work has taken on more of a national scope, but he still offers plenty of regular insight on the team he previously covered as a beat writer. Plus, I'll take any excuse to make room for one of the sharpest hoops scribes. Read his work, in long-form and 140-character bursts alike.
Brooklyn Nets: Devin Kharpertian (@uuords). An essential voice on the Nets who consistently finds ways to stand apart in the Twitter echo chamber. Equal parts wit and wisdom.
New York Knicks: Seth Rosenthal (@seth_rosenthal), netw3rk (@netw3rk), Chris Herring (@HerringWSJ) and Dan Devine (@YourManDevine). I refuse to participate in this Sophie's Choice of Twitter follows. No NBA timeline is complete without all four of these gentlemen, each essential to your edification and entertainment in his own way. That the Knicks give them such rich material benefits all of us.
Philadelphia 76ers: Tom Sunnergren (@tsunnergren). Though relatively new to the platform, Sunnergren has long packed canny analysis into his Sixers-centered writings. Tune in to his feed for a great balance of wide-angle perspective and essential nuance.
Toronto Raptors: I'm doubling down with Eric Koreen (@ekoreen) and Holly MacKenzie (@stackmack). For Koreen, I'll offer two truths and a lie: He provides a clear-eyed view from the Raptors' beat, nimbly jumps around the league with quality takes on other teams and once shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. As for MacKenzie, her coverage of the Raps and the NBA at large blends encyclopedic knowledge of the game with a refreshing, full-hearted humanism. Both are quality follows in their own right, but as foils they make for a can't-lose pairing.
Central Division
Chicago Bulls: K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop). Working the beat on a locked-down franchise like the Bulls isn't easy, but Johnson manages to produce comprehensive coverage on a day-to-day basis. Quality reporting spliced with plenty of punchlines.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Conrad Kaczmarek (@ConradKazNBA). A committed Cavs blogger who doesn't shy away from challenging consensus opinion or conventional wisdom. That tendency can make him a bit of a Twitter fire-starter, but one who represents his arguments earnestly and well.
Detroit Pistons: Dan Feldman (@PistonPowered). Keep up with one of the zanier teams in the league by way of Feldman's grounded analysis. He's not a high-volume Twitter user by any means, but he makes heady observations without aiming to be platform-comprehensive.
Indiana Pacers: Tim Donahue (@TimDonahue8p9s). It's a challenge to pack both detail and clarity into 140-character blurbs, but Donahue -- co-helm of the excellent blog Eight Points, Nine Seconds -- does so consistently. A welcome resource in closely examining one of the best teams in the league.
Milwaukee Bucks: Jeremy Schmidt (@Bucksketball) and Frank Madden (@brewhoop). Two level-headed -- though stylistically different -- team bloggers who provide engaging commentary on everyone's favorite middle-of-the-pack franchise. It's always a treat to watch these two react in real time when Milwaukee makes a particularly Bucksy move.
Southeast Division
Atlanta Hawks: Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks). While not exactly a media account, the Hawks' official Twitter feed is Internet-savvy and self-aware enough to warrant inclusion. It's far too easy for team outlets to default to the bland, but Atlanta's Twitter account pushes team-centric content while keeping its sense of humor.
Charlotte Bobcats: Rufus on Fire (@Rufus_On_Fire). The Twitter front of the best Bobcats blog around. Good source of real-time analysis during the season, and otherwise serves as a direct channel to the quality content on the blog proper.
Miami Heat: Couper Moorhead (@CoupNBA). Working for an NBA team brings some considerable tonal limitations, but Moorhead gets incredible mileage out of his position by homing in on the strategic workings of the two-time defending champions. As far as team-driven X's-and-O's work goes, you'll find none better.
Orlando Magic: Evan Dunlap (@BQRMagic). Dunlap is a well-reasoned writer stuck with a crummy team, but he makes the absolute most of his source material. He covers all bases and casts a wide net to aggregate -- and reflect on -- most every piece of Magic news and analysis to hit the Interwebs.
Washington Wizards: Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) and Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It). Both long of tooth in the Wizards' blogging game, they're chock full of insight in breaking down both Washington's improved play and persistent misery.
Southwest Division
Dallas Mavericks: Bryan Gutierrez (@BallinWithBryan). A comprehensive, straightforward relay of all things Mavs. Gutierrez is a running commentator in-game, a medium for locker room quotables and a catch-all for the Dallas-related content making the Internet rounds.
Houston Rockets: Jason Friedman (@JasonCFriedman). Another talented analyst working within the confines of team employ, Friedman draws upon his access and acumen to churn out consistently great reads. Follow this feed for his latest, along with a tap on the latest Rockets discussion points.
Memphis Grizzlies: Chris Herrington (@HerringtonNBA). Although Herrington will no longer be on the beat full time, he's still the best source of Grizzlies coverage. He's so measured and attentive to detail that his shift in role hardly matters. While Herrington's volume might decrease as he assumes other duties with the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the underlying quality -- and thoroughness -- of his work will undoubtedly remain.
New Orleans Pelicans: Rohan Cruyff (@Rohan_Cruyff). Cruyff's Twitter feed is mostly filled with lighter fare, making it a perfect complement for his high-level discussion of the Pelicans' play at The Bird Writes (formerly At the Hive).
San Antonio Spurs: Dan McCarney (@danmccarneysaen). It was tough to pick a single standout from the ranks of quality Spurs writers/bloggers, but McCarney qualifies because of his near-optimal balance of cogent analysis and Twitter one-liners. Genuinely funny without coming across as cynical, and a sound writer plugged into the minutiae of the Spurs.
Northwest Division
Denver Nuggets: Ben Hochman (@hochman). His Twitter feed might not be so Nuggets-centric now that Hochman has become a general sports columnist for the Denver Post, but he brings considerable knowledge of the team (much through his experience as a former beat writer) without ever taking things too seriously.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Britt Robson (@brittrobson), Zach Harper (@talkhoops) and Steve McPherson (@steventurous). Another case of three very different writers all very much deserving of your attention. Each brings much more than Wolves coverage to the table, too, so come for the Ricky Rubio adoration and stay for the extracurriculars.
Portland Trail Blazers: Ben Golliver (@blazersedge). Accuse me of playing favorites if you'd like, but I know for a fact that Golliver plugs an Ethernet cord into the back of his skull to more fully and quickly canvas the Internet for Blazers news. Dedication aside, the results are unparalleled.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Royce Young (@royceyoung). There's no one through whom I'd rather chart the Thunder experience. Top-notch coverage of a contender.
Utah Jazz: David Locke (@Lockedonsports). An obsessive number-cruncher (and fiery radio broadcaster) tuned in to the minute-by-minute workings of the Jazz. Few media members have a firmer grasp of their team's success and failures down to a micro level.
Pacific Division
Golden State Warriors: Ethan Sherwood Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss). Strauss technically covers the entire league for ESPN.com, but he couldn't stop himself from cooking up hot Warriors takes even if he tried. A relentless thinker and tinkerer, he's guaranteed to draw you into his tangents on the state and structure of Golden State's play.
Los Angeles Clippers: D.J. Foster (@fosterdj). I'm a big fan of Foster's considered writings on the Clippers, and his Twitter feed begins from that sound analytical basis before healthily detouring into levity. An all-around delight.
Los Angeles Lakers: Kevin Ding (@KevinDing). The definitive no-punches-held beat writer. Ding's takes are typically sobering in the face of rabid Lakers fanaticism.
Phoenix Suns: Paul Coro (@paulcoro). A first-rate beat writer who manages to sneak in welcome bits of writing flair and reported flavor. Few offer so complete a picture in reporting a story.
Sacramento Kings
