Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash are still in the sidelines, but they might return simultaneously on January 28. While this is good news for all the fans, is it a bad idea for their long-term goals?

Bryant and Nash are just two of a slew of Lakers nursing injuries. Steve Blake, Jordan Farmar and Xavier Henry are also out, practically clearing out the Lakers backcourt.

ESPN reports on the status of all the injured players:  Xavier Henry (bone bruise in his right knee) will be the first of the group to be examined.

"He could possibly play on this road trip or he could be out the rest of the season," D'Antoni told ESPNLA 710 radio Friday. "So, it's like one or the other."

Steve Blake (torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow) will be re-evaluated around the same time as Bryant and Nash, according to D'Antoni. Before returning to game action, Blake would need seven to 10 days to rehabilitate and strengthen his elbow, which has been stabilized in a protective brace.

Jordan Farmar (left hamstring tear) practiced form shooting this week but won't be back until "sometime in February," according to D'Antoni.

Kobe Bryant (fracture of the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee) and Steve Nash (nerve root irritation in his back and hamstrings) will be re-evaluated Jan. 27, when the Lakers return to L.A. after an upcoming 12-day, seven-game trip."

Thus, January 27 is a pivotal date for the Tinseltown team. Is the actual injury status the only thing that the Lakers should consider for the two 17 year veterans (Nash and Kobe were both from the 1996 Draft Class)?  Should they elect to sit them out for the rest of the season? Some sectors suggest that their return is a bad idea.

That is a perplexing thought. Why would the return of your two most popular and experienced players, both MVP awardees, be a bad thing?

Sporting News has the skinny: "Even if Bryant and Nash were to return and somehow help Los Angeles earn a spot in the playoffs, it's difficult to imagine it competing in a seven-game series with one of the West's top teams. If Nash has any gas left in the tank, there's no need to waste it on a lost season."

Whether the Lakers' front office admits it, they know that this is a lost season. The key is preservation and foresight. Besides, most of the Laker fans already understand the dynamics of tanking. If Kobe and Nash get re-injured, it could mean long term losses for the franchise who recently signed the Black Mamba to a two-year contract extension.