April 16, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl talks to small forward Danilo Gallinari (8) and forward Kenneth Faried (35) against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE

Nine straight years of making the playoffs and seven first-round exits (and what soon will be eight).

It’s hard for Denver Nuggets fans to see the appreciation in that run, especially after seeing players like Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin and Carmelo Anthony come up short while wearing Nuggets jerseys.

However, this year is different and this team is very much different.

There is zero All-Stars on this squad. The starting lineup features a rookie power forward and its oldest player is only 26 years old. Not to mention the two most experienced players on the squad are Al Harrington and Andre Miller.

And yet fans believed this squad has the components to upset the No. 3-seeded Los Angeles Lakers?

Lets be realistic, this team has potential but it isn’t going to beat a Lakers squad that is built to compete for an NBA title.

L.A. features a future Hall of Famer in Kobe Bryant and the most dominant duo in the post with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

Denver has an exciting young core group of players in Danilo Gallinari, Ty Lawson, Arron Afflalo, Kenneth Faried and Jordan Hamilton. All have a lot of promise, but none is ready to compete with the likes of Bryant or Bynum. Do any of them have the potentials to be a star? Most likely not, but either way it is far to early to lose fate in this young squad.

Dec. 31, 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets shooting guard Arron Afflalo (6) and Denver Nuggets power forward Al Harrington (7) guards Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) as he makes a pass during the first half of the game at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

In 2008, the Los Angeles Lakers swept the opening round of the playoffs with the Denver Nuggets.  And in 2009, the only thing that stood between the Nuggets and the NBA Finals was Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

Now three years later, the Nuggets have a brand new team but face a familiar foe in the opening round of the playoffs. Only little used big man Chris Andersen is left from that squad, while the Lakers still have the same core group of Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Bryant.

Los Angeles doesn’t have legendary coach Phil Jackson anymore, he has been replaced by Mike Brown. But the Lakers still remain dangerous with their size in the post and with a future Hall of Famer in Bryant.

The Nuggets still have George Karl in control, but have replaced Carmelo Anthony with Danilo Gallinari, Chauncey Billups with Ty Lawson, Nene with JaVale McGee and Kenyon Martin with Kenneth Faried. Oh, and Andre Miller now plays the old role that Anthony Carter had.

In the past Carter and Dahntay Jones were in charge of checking Bryant, but now it is Arron Afflalo and Miller that have the tough task of slowing Bryant. The two have done an admirable job of slowing Bryant, who hasn’t shot over .40 percent in a game against the Nuggets this season.

If the Nuggets have a shot at beating the Lakers, they need to steal a win at Staples Center –  where they haven’t had much success over the past few years. The Nuggets have won only 3 of 14 road games against the Lakers, their last win over the Lakers at the Staples Center was last year when Martin tipped in the game winner. Denver needs some of that same magic in this series.