In the Denver Nuggets‘ game against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, head coach Mike Malone surprised many when he fielded in his starters who were missing one of their mainstays, Nikola Jokic.

The move was part of the plan  to make use of other combinations and allow their starting center, Jusuf Nurkic to be played alongside Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried. It also gives the bench an additional scoring weapon by having the 21-year-old Serbian international lead the second unit.

But the 45-year-old bench tactician revealed that it was not his and the coaching staff's idea alone to have Jokic come off the bench.

“Nikola Jokic is probably the most selfless player on our team. He’s a guy that even came to me, says ‘coach I don’t want to start anymore. I just want to win,’”

This came as a welcome surprise to Malone as it gives him a chance to experiment on his lineup especially since they have only won three out of their first eight games before Friday's matchup. Jokic also gained his coach's trust and respect. Malone had nothing but good words to say about his 6-foot-10 big man.

“He’s one of the few guys on our team, that if I can pull him out of the starting lineup, he’s not going to be upset and pout. And I give him a lot of credit and respect for that.”

The Nuggets may have a losing record but that does not reflect how competitive they have been during games, in fact, they have lost three games by only three points or less. If the coaching staff will be able to find the right combination in their lineup soon, plus the willingness of Jokic to do whatever it takes to help them win, it won't be surprising if the Nuggets will be able to turn their fortunes around.