The Denver Nuggets lost a thriller to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night. And while it wasn't the outcome the team was hoping for, it was unquestionably the kind of game that can prepare this team for challenges down the road. 

This game was also notable for the fact that it was just the second contest back for Aaron Gordon after he missed roughly six weeks of action. The Nuggets fell down the standings during the time he missed, and the team is undoubtedly very glad to have him back. 

Jamal Murray said as much during his locker room interview after the loss to the Thunder. He put into words what a lot of fans in Denver have been thinking all throughout AG's absence. 

"Amazing," Murray said of Gordon's return. "You saw the stuff that he got us off to. I think just having him, another big body that can take up some space and make some shots." 

These words from Murray say so much in just a few short phrases. The Nuggets have had a hard time looking like a championship-level basketball team as of late, and so much of that has been due to untimely injuries to key players. 

Denver has been without its full rotation for nearly the entire season, and it's been hard to properly gauge what this team's ceiling really is. Aaron Gordon is something of the heart and soul of the Nuggets, so having him back clearly changed some things, even if they still walked away with a loss in this one. 

"He was super excited just to be out there on the court," Murray said. "Hasn't been out there in months. I think it was his second game back, he was just playing like it was his second game back. It was fun to watch, fun to be a part of, to see him get that rhythm back." 

When a guy comes back after extended time off, he's almost never going to look like his usual self right away. Jamal knows that Gordon is still getting acclimated, and yet he still put up 23 points and 10 rebounds against maybe the best team in the Association. 

Everyone on this roster is aware of how Aaron's presence changes how Denver can play at both ends of the floor. On offense, he's making actions smoother and helping make life easier for Nikola Jokic. Defensively, he's an incredibly smart player whose versatility raises the ceiling of the group. 

The Nuggets may be behind where they hoped to be at this point in the season, but the return of Aaron Gordon means more than just another rotation guy coming back. Denver has looked like a team missing a major piece of itself for too long, and that piece is back.

If AG can find his rhythm and get back to typical form over the next few weeks, this team could enter the playoffs looking a lot more dangerous than their current seed suggests.