Continuity can be edge in loaded Western side

There is no better time during the NBA calendar to jump to conclusions than the offseason. The news cycle grounds to a halt, the media take a minor hiatus and there are no games to validate anyone’s assumptions.

So here come the “takes.” So far this summer, the Los Angeles Clippers have been anointed title favorites and Golden State’s dynasty is over. By that same token, the San Antonio Spurs’ streak of 22 consecutive postseason appearances is in jeopardy.

Duly noted.

Last year’s hot offseason debate — how high will the Lakers finish in the Western Conference? — clouded the incremental progress in Denver. Hardly anyone predicted the Nuggets would leap from the No. 9 to the No. 2 seed. Meanwhile, the Lakers’ season devolved into chaos.

While the rest of the NBA spent this past July auditing their respective teams, some making drastic overhauls in the name of rebuilding, the Nuggets casually retained their most important pieces in Paul Millsap and Jamal Murray. It’s why, as the free-agent chaos swirled around them, the Nuggets were at ease.

“Definitely we’re banking on our continuity,” Denver GM Arturas Karnisovas told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on “The Woj Pod” released Sunday. “A lot of teams that made changes and added huge pieces and stars, they’re still dealing in hypotheticals. We’ve watched this group show us last year, take us to a 54-28 season, having the best home record, 34-7, so this group is done and they’re still the third-youngest group in the league.”

Karnisovas isn’t just referring to the Clippers, who landed Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, or the Lakers, who gutted their roster trading for Anthony Davis. There are moving parts in Utah and Portland as well — two small-market teams that have stayed competitive despite their inherent disadvantages in free agency.

The Jazz traded for Mike Conley and landed Bojan Bogdanovic and Ed Davis in free agency. Incorporating a new point guard to play alongside rising star Donovan Mitchell and slotting Bogdanovic next to defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert will not be seamless. The same goes for Portland’s addition of Hassan Whiteside. Those are the hypotheticals Karnisovas was alluding to.

“By keeping (Nikola Jokic), by keeping Jamal (Murray), we’re trying to keep those pieces and continue bringing the same team back, including our coaching staff and keeping our staff and front office. So continuity is our motto and you’re always thankful to the ownership that stuck with us,” Karnisovas said.

NBA.com’s John Schuhmann compiled data on every team’s “continuity ranking” and the Nuggets finished No. 1. They’ll have 12 players returning from their roster last season, the most of any team in the league.

Expect to hear the continuity refrain a lot this season.