"I dare you to tell me I'm wrong" - Skip Bayless calls out Draymond Green for dismissing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder as real playoffs threat

Despite looking like one of the NBA's top teams all season long, Draymond Green isn't sold on the OKC Thunder as a finals contender. With the postseason looming, one analyst called out the veteran forward in defense of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company.

From the start of the year, OKC has been head and shoulders above the competition in the Western Conference. With a little over 10 games to go, they have a commanding 13-and-a-half-game lead in first place. Armed with depth and an MVP-caliber talent, this group appears ready to make a run at the title.

Following their impressive win against the LA Clippers over the weekend, Skip Bayless called out Draymond Green for dismissing the Thunder. On Tuesday, he did not hold back with his thoughts about OKC proving him wrong this postseason.

"Hey Draymond, get your salt and pepper ready," Bayless said. "Because the Thunder are soon going to make you eat every one of those words."

"I dare you to tell me I'm wrong."

As the regular season comes to a close, the Thunder are on pace to finish well above 60 wins. They've taken care of business in impressive fashion, having the NBA's best defense and fourth-best offensive in terms of defensive and offensive rating.

OKC has proven they are ready to take the next step, but only time will tell if their success will carry on under the bright lights of the playoffs.

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What did Draymond Green say about the OKC Thunder's ability to contend?

As someone with four championships on his resumé, Draymond Green understands what it takes to win at the highest level in the NBA. Because of this, he is allowed to openly give his thoughts on fellow contenders around the league.

Bayless took aim at the Golden State Warriors forward because of comments he made earlier this year on his podcast. While talking about the Thunder, he cited their youthfulness as something that could hurt them when it comes to contending. Green said he doesn't think the group has the right level of seriousness yet to compete on the game's biggest stage.

"There's a certain seriousness that it takes to win in this league, and there's a certain fear you have to instill in teams in order to win," Green said. "I just don't know if they're instilling that fear in teams."

With the Warriors surging in recent weeks, they are now in the mix to be a dark horse contender in the West. Looking to add another title to their dynasty, Draymond Green could have to clash against the team he dismissed earlier this year. Given his comments, OKC would certainly have added motivation in this matchup.

As of now, the Warriors would have to make a deep run to meet up with the Thunder. Currently on opposite sides of the bracket, the earliest they'd cross paths is the conference finals.