Sanders says the Bucks ought to win it all here: "In the West, there are a lot of teams that can really play a short series. The only team that really dominated was Milwaukee. It's Oscar Robertson's last year and he could possibly be up for that 'one more shot' as they call it. And that would make a very strong favorite."

The Lakers won't really pose any serious threat to the Bucks. "They've had a difficult season at best," Sanders Said. And they are riddled by old age in Bill Bridges, Happy Hairston and Connie Hawkins.

The other series, between Chicago and Detroit will be very close. "That's going to be a fun series to watch; it ought to be fairly physical too," Sanders said. "Brutal" would be a better word to describe it. In a nationally-televised game between the Bulls and the Bucks two weeks ago, three fights broke out between the heated players.

While the street-fighting Bulls will be struggling with big Bob Lanier and Co., the Bucks will sit by and wait to pick up the pieces. And whoever emerges will be too exhausted to deal with the Bucks.

So it comes down to the Celts and the Bucks. The absence of speed in the back-court will seriously damage the Bucks' hopes because the Celts can run and run and run. OScar Robertson and Jon McGlocklin cannot keep up with Don Chaney and Jo Jo White.

As Satch says "The Celts ought to take the whole thing."