OKC Thunder Guard Josh Giddey Has Been Working Toward His NBA Playoff Moment

This season has been nothing short of rocky for Josh Giddey. For the third straight season, the 21-year-old saw his role change, expectations get altered, criticism creep up and pressure mount.

Now taking a backseat to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, Giddey was tasked with playing a more physically demanding role on the defensive end and find his way away from the ball for the first time in his life on the offensive end.

After hitting rock bottom on a February afternoon in Dallas, Giddey is set to take on the Mavericks in the playoffs for a moment he has been working for since entering the NBA.

During a 35-point loss in the American Airlines Center, the Giddey discourse reached a fever pitch. The Thunder guard put up a dud of a game clanking triples left, right, center and behind the backboard to the tune of 3-for-14 shooting from the floor that day.

Giddey was a minus 23 that day logging just 11 points, three assists, three rebounds and a steal while being left on an island to drown offensively.

Perhaps he never felt more alone on that island as the 21-year-old was forced to just wear it being left on the hardwood long after his expiration date in that contest.

The criticisms and questions around Giddey's future were never louder than that night in Dallas. However, it also served as a turning point for his season.

After clearly losing his confidence throughout the early months - he has admitted as such - Giddey got back to the basics and started impacting the game as good as he ever has in his career.

Since March 1 the 6-foot-8 guard is averaging 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game. Giddey has made a larger impact on the defensive end as well while shooting 54 percent from the floor, 37 percent from beyond the arc, 69 percent at the rim and 77 percent from the charity stripe.

That defensive work - along with his career-best rim finishing numbers - is what has stood out the most for Giddey during this stretch.

It was the difference in him remaining on the floor in the playoffs to this point and has been a long time coming. A point of development the Thunder have focused on since Giddey landed in Bricktown.

"I always spoke to coach my first few years about guys who teams will attack a matchup, that is how you get played off the floor and I never wanted to be that guy," Giddey said following Game 4 against the Pelicans.

The vibes were high following Game 4 as the OKC Thunder pulled off just their second sweep in franchise history and Mark Daigneault went around the locker room calling each member of the roster a bad Mother---, but things were especially good for Giddey.

In a closeout game on the road, the 21-year-old poured in his second consecutive game with four triples to help punch OKC's ticket to the second round for the first time since 2016.

This was nothing new for Giddey who routinely shoots the ball well inside the Smoothie King Center, but it stems from the work put in away from the bright light.s

"I don't know, it's just some arenas you feel good in...Just being confident, the first few games of this series the shot wasn't falling but continuing to trust the work," Giddey said of his shooting hot streak against the Pelicans.

There is one thing you can not question about Giddey and that is his work ethic. The former No. 6 pick is always getting shots up with legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland after practice and in the offseason.

That bond has been something that has not only brewed results but a special relationship for the young guard.

“We talk every day. We’re in here together every day. If he’s not here, we’re texting and calling. He’s been great. He’s told me he’s proud of me…I love that guy. We’ve spent a lot of time together these last two years.” Giddey said of Engelland.

After a successful first-round series for Giddey where he turned the tide twice in the Thunder's four-game sweep of the Pelicans, the Mavericks will present a different test for the former NBL star.

While Giddey has worked for these postseason moments, this season will soon come full circle for him.

On Saturday Afternoon, the youngster will walk into the American Airlines Center for the first time since that low point in his NBA career for Game 3 of OKC's second-round series.