GREEN VALLEY DRAFT: Semifinal Predictions

By Michael Palmer | Green Valley Media Associate

No. 1 Ironman (6-2) vs. No. 4 Black Panther (5-4)

Ironman is 2-0 against Black Panther this season and will be looking to make it a perfect 3-0 mark as they'll battle it out in the semifinals. Black Panther beat Captain America in the first round of the playoffs by 14 points as Anthony Livingston led the way with 25 points and 10 assists. What will it take for Black Panther to advance to the championship game? It will take a lot, but I know that Livingston can rally his group and slow down Ironman. Let's see how well Eric Redeaux and Stefan Hanania do against the likes of Roberto West and J.J. Todd. Redeuax and Hanania make big-time buckets, but not if Redeaux and Todd can slow them down. Luis Maceira and Robert Lew can't be forgotten about as they can score tough baskets and always keep up with the pace of the game. 

The difference-maker for Ironman has been the MVP in Bernard Preston. He's agile, makes some clutch shots and also plays exceptional defense. Black Panther must pay extra attention to him and force him to pass the ball. Sean Watkins and Angel Castro have been clutch shooters from downtown this season and they will be contested a lot as Black Panther has the size advantage. Mark Siegel is a sleeper here as he can make some tough shots go down, while West grabs clutch boards. This is a tough one for me, but if Black Panther can slow down Preston and their shooters, they could pull this one off. If not, well then it's Ironman's game.

Prediction: Ironman +3.5

No. 2 Spiderman (6-2) vs. No. 3 Thor (5-4)

Spiderman has the edge over Thor this season as they're 2-0 this season against them. Thor beat Hulk 139-94 in the first round of the playoffs and even though it was a great win, they allowed 94 points and they can't afford to give up that many points against Spiderman. Spiderman is loaded with talent, including a point guard that averages 11.6 rebounds per game in Edwin Urbina. He comes from no where and grabs those boards from left to right, so Thor needs to keep a close eye on him. Another solid weapon for Spiderman is Charlie Farber. He's a prolific scorer and makes clutch shots each and every game. Vance Randall has missed the last two games for Spiderman and in his absence, L.C. Comine has been a fine 3-point threat. Watch out for RJ Wojtowicz to make a difference in this one and Josh Rollans to play hard-nose defense.

Thor has loaded talent and prolific scorers in Kodiak Yazzie and Juan Carter. They're a great one-two punch and will be aggressive on offense. Carter has great vision and will always find the open man. Yazzie will most likely be guarded by Rollans and this should be a big-time matchup to watch. Watch out for Dominic Pedotto to grab hard-fought rebounds and perhaps a lot of put-backs too. Spiderman has the potential of winning the title and I have them winning this one with multiple 20-plus point scorers.

Prediction: Spiderman -5.5