Editor’s note: Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth discussed the challenges of repeating as NBA champs, roster additions and other moves. Here are the highlights:

How does this summer compare to previous summers?

Very quick summer. It went really fast. The turnaround from the parade to the draft for me to free agency to Summer League … Now, it seems like I’m just sitting here like we had a week off. But (it was) very exciting, very glad that we were able to do something for the city that hasn’t happened before. It’s a great moment to be sitting up here with the trophy.

What is the most challenging element about repeating as champions?

The mentality, as Josh (Kroenke) alluded to. In this sense, I think mentality means to stay poised, to stay centered. I think winning the championship was a huge step for our program going forward. We probably, quite frankly, did it sooner than a lot of people thought we would. So, repeating would be great, but more importantly, how do we sustain this and how do we win multiple championships? I think the good thing about this team is they proved last year that if we start playing well at the right time, then we can beat anybody. I think that will be the goal this year. It won’t be to get 65 wins. It won’t be to be undefeated in October and November. How do we get this team playing the right way at the right time?

What will be the most difficult aspect in replacing Bruce Brown’s game?

When you’re talking about apples-to-apples replacement, you’re talking about Christian Braun. Christian, I think, has improved his ball-handling, but he won’t be playing any back-up point guard. So, Reggie (Jackson) had a fantastic summer. Reggie reminds me a lot of Ricky Rubio. I was with Ricky a long time in Minnesota, and every time Ricky looked like he was down and out, he had this terrific stretch. If you look at Reggie’s career, he’s pretty much done the same thing. I would anticipate that he has a big year.

Christian Braun is going to bring a lot of the same things that Bruce brought, but Bruce played on the ball.

What can you reflect on from last year’s group that is mandatory for this team?

Continued maturation. I think we showed maturity to finish and win a championship, but we haven’t developed that regular-season maturity that some of the past champions – Golden State and San Antonio – showed where we’re ending games in the third quarter and Nikola’s icing. We’re (having) double-digit regular-season win streaks. Taking the self-inventory of our team, I have to acknowledge and Josh has to acknowledge that we’re not there yet. I think we can get there this season. I think winning the championship will give us a lot of confidence, but we have to get to the point where we’ve developed into a more mature team that approaches the regular season in a more professional manner.

How is this team different and what are its strengths relative to last year?

If you look at a general theme, especially from our draft picks, it’s trying to bolster our 3-point shooting. I felt like we got two of the best wing shooters in the draft, and I felt like in Jalen Pickett, we got one of the few guys in the league that can generate 3-point shots. He’s been a surprisingly good shooter to this point, as well. … His ability to create 3s for other people is underrated.

How did the changes in the CBA alter how you built this roster?

As the CBA is concerned, when you throw a lot of the attributes that are valued like positional size, skill, toughness, character … athleticism, if you take a few of those things and put them together into a player, that player becomes really expensive. What we did is we tried to acquire some of those players in the draft. We got a discount because of experience. They don’t have any yet, right? So, we’re going to have to grow with them and allow them to gain some experience. In the meantime, that’s how we got value.

Are other teams trying to copy what you guys are doing?

Booth: I think every team’s goal is to try to make their team better. I think right now a lot of teams view the league, quite frankly, as wide open. With Bruce leaving and our roster being kind of young, I think some teams are trying to really say ‘It’s our year.’ That’s the challenge that we have to take on. We’re going to be the hunted. Can we still have a hunter’s mindset? We still have a lot to prove.