SIMON SAYS (1/14)

What are the Dallas Mavs and Rick Carlisle hiding regarding Dirk Nowitzki? Give a status update. Spill some news. We are all dying here if we, indeed, own him…I knew Rashard Lewis could still contribute. Just not around ball hog extraordinaire Dwight Howard… Brandon Roy’s arhroscopic surgery makes Wesley Matthews a must play every week whn healthy and LaMarcus Aldridge a beast… Hedo Turkoglu is turning into a true source of assists, though his scoring is still not up to par for the Magic… Nice to see Chris Bosh contribute in the face of all other Miami Heaerst not doing so yesterday…  Russell Westbrook is such a stud…  The person who told me to take Al Harrington in the draft should be shot and stabbed…

GETTIN' GEEK'D (1/9)

Five on the Rise

Now that the clock has hit 00:00 on the fantasy football season, it’s time to get those fantasy hoops squads in tip-top shape. The 2010 portion of the NBA season was full of surprises, as injuries, trades and the fallout from the big summer of free agency opened the door for new stars to shine. Bargain-hunting owners who like to pan for gold on the waiver wire and deal for buy-low candidates have already struck it rich with guys like Wesley Matthews, Beno Udrih and Hedo Turkoglu. Now that you’ve got that new 2011 Puppies & Kittens calendar on your wall, The Geek will get you up to speed on the next round of players whose stock may be about to rise. Some of the guys on the following list may be owned in your league and others may not be ownable just yet. But they’re all worth keeping an eye on.

GETTIN’ GEEK’D (1/9)

Five on the Rise

Now that the clock has hit 00:00 on the fantasy football season, it’s time to get those fantasy hoops squads in tip-top shape. The 2010 portion of the NBA season was full of surprises, as injuries, trades and the fallout from the big summer of free agency opened the door for new stars to shine. Bargain-hunting owners who like to pan for gold on the waiver wire and deal for buy-low candidates have already struck it rich with guys like Wesley Matthews, Beno Udrih and Hedo Turkoglu. Now that you’ve got that new 2011 Puppies & Kittens calendar on your wall, The Geek will get you up to speed on the next round of players whose stock may be about to rise. Some of the guys on the following list may be owned in your league and others may not be ownable just yet. But they’re all worth keeping an eye on.

SIMON SAYS (1/8)

Nice to see a triple-double out of Rajon Rondo the other day. Just sayin’… That Orlando-Phoenix trade sure beat the hell out of Gilbert Arenas‘ value. And I know someone who took him in the third round… Even if you need nothing but blocks, DeAndre Jordan is your man. 19 in his last three. I would have picked him up, only I wanted Glen Davis more… David Lee has become so versatile in that Golden State offense. He is amazing and justifies his draft position with his play… Dirk Nowitzki, come back!… Obviously, the presence of Andrew Bynum in Lakerland does not affect the play of Lamar Odom, thanks to the complete disappearance of Ron Artest. Hate away, Phil… Raymond Felton, I had no idea. Miss Larry Brown much?

SIMON SAYS: EXTRA EDITION (1/4)

Andray Blatche: You came out in the newspaper and stated that the reason your game has gone to sh-t is because you are affected by the trade rumors surrounding your name. WHY? What player has not been mentioned in trade rumors during their career? How can you take that so personally? You broke out when given the opportunity last season. You put up impressive numbers. Fantasy players, such as myself, who looked so genius in picking you up midseason last year, are truly disappointed in your play, based on where you were drafted this season. If anybody wants to trade for you, it’s because you have that damn much potential and you are a good fit for their team. SUCK IT UP and play your game, because only 25 percent of all trades come to fruition and you are screwing with your team’s playoff possibilities. Well, it is the Wizards, but still.

HUSTLE POINTS (1/3)

We tried a little experiment and moved the Hoops Help Chat to Noon ET yesterday, Sunday, and it didn’t work out. I only had a couple people, which is something I am not used to… Also not good for the ego. So we are going to try moving it back to 11:30 am ET, 8:30 am PT to accommodate everyone’s schedule and see what happens. There will be no chat next Monday, but join us back for the chat on January 17 at 11:30 ET. I will be able to answer all your burning questions. In the meantime, feel free to tweet and e-mail as always.