Derek Cianfrance Interview

Possible Offensive sets by the Celtics in 2013

Read this wonderful article in BR about the sets to be employed by Brad Stevens - the new coach of the Celtics.
Offensive Sets
Stevens has a number of preferred sets he likes to run in order to create open shots. They're designed to put players in a position to make a play, whether it's isolating a big man in the post or giving a guard a driving angle.
Spread
Butler upset the No. 1-ranked Indiana Hoosiers early last season in a fantastic game they pulled out in overtime. In crunch time, Stevens ran this stretch set for crucial possessions. It allowed Butler to give its best player, Rotnei Clarke, the ball with space to operate and make a high-percentage play.
A popular set at every level, including the NBA, Stevens spreads his wings in the corners and bigs in the paint. This gives the point guard extra room to work.

From here, the ball-handler is in a playmaker position. Stevens can allow him to work one-on-one in an attempt to beat his man and draw a help defender.
For this particular play, Stevens called for a high-ball screen with a big man who can shoot it.
The Celtics frequently ran out high-ball screens for Rajon Rondo, which is something Stevens is likely to continue calling. Given the open court he has to work with, Rondo's quickness and craftiness off the dribble makes him difficult to contain on the perimeter.
Rondo and Kelly Olynyk, Boston's promising pick-and-pop rookie center, could thrive playing the two-man game in this set. Butler converted on the same play later in overtime, spreading three players out at the baseline and sending the big man out for a ball screen.
This time, the ball-handler uses the screen and hesitation dribble to penetrate and get to the rack.
Flex Offense
The flex offense, which is popular at the college level, is predicated on ball movement, screens and motion. Jerry Sloan is most famous for using it in the pros.
It's an offense that sees constant action with a variety of different options and Plan Bs to fall back on. Below, Butler goes into the flex offense by using cross screens (or flex cuts) and spacing to isolate Matt Howard, their top post player, in his sweet spot with room to operate.

If the defense is able to take away Howard in the post, Butler could then reverse it, where more down-screening action and movement is ready to take place.
The ball keeps moving until a mismatch or open shot is finally found.
You can expect Jeff Green to play a huge role in this offense. At 6'9'', he's got the size of a 4 and the skill set of a 3. Green should see a number of favorable matchups that coach Stevens will try and exploit.
And by trading Paul Pierce, the Celtics lost their top shot-creator. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Stevens implement some flex sets into Boston's offense to help open up some scoring opportunities.
Box Set
Stevens likes to run box sets, which run a number of quick-hitter plays to set up open looks and jumpers.
The offense sets up like a box with a man at each corner of the key.
In this case, the guard at the far low block circles around the top of the key, gets a screen from the high-post man and cuts to the near wing.

Once he gets the ball, the initial far-post screener follows and sets a ball screen before slipping into space for the open pick-and-pop.
With big men like Olynyk, Green, Brandon Bass and Jared Sullinger capable of knocking down mid-range jumpers, Stevens should have some of these box sets ready to go.
Execution
College isn't the NBA, where you can put the ball in a guy's hands and expect him to go get you a bucket.
Coaches need to rely on play-calling and their teams' ability to execute. This is where Stevens' teams typically shine. Like Rivers used to do in Boston, Steven can draw up some pretty impressive stuff with a clipboard. Within a play, each player needs to do their part, whether it's being a decoy in the corner or setting an important screen. Take a look at a little misdirection play Stevens uses to pick up an easy half-court bucket.
While the ball is moving on one side, the back screen is happening on the other, hence the misdirection. But the play was made possible by Butler's ability to draw Wisconsin's big man away from the rim. This is really all about recognition and setting an effective screen. Butler timed the play beautifully and executed it to perfection. Without Pierce and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics will be looking to pick up as many easy buckets as possible. And Stevens' mind, playbook and point guard should allow them to do so.

Defensive Rebounding
One of the great qualities about most Brad Stevens teams is that they clean the defensive glass. KenPom has Butler's defense ranked No. 11 in the country in opponent offensive-rebounding rate. Butler has been ranked in the top 20 three times since 2010 and at 40 or better since 2009. Without Garnett, Stevens is likely to put a large emphasis on defensive rebounding. This is an area where the rookie Olynyk needs to improve and one that Sullinger must establish his presence in.
The Fit
Throughout his time at Butler, Stevens has mostly stuck to a man-to-man defense. Offensively, there's nothing spectacularly unusual about his system. There are no surprises or special tricks Stevens has in his bag on either side of the ball. He seems to have a counter for everything and a sense that smells weakness. Stevens has the right plays for right moment for the right people. No system or defensive scheme is going to make this Boston team a contender in 2013-14. But Stevens' savvy game-planning and organization-first approach should be a great long-term addition and fit with this team. If Rondo can remain patient, he and Stevens could probably pull off some pretty magical stuff on the offensive end.
Thanks to Jonathan Wasserman for the above illustrative article on sets.

Books from Flipkart

I have received my ordered package from Flipkart containing two books from David Baldacci and Amish Tripathi's Shiva Trilogy

Just finished the first David Baldacci book,it kept me up all night and it was exciting like watching an action movie.No wonder David Baldacci is one of the bestsellers of this generation.
Amish tripathi seems to have a taken a more scientific look on religious mythology which makes it look almost like a historically accurate story on the Indus valley civilization. Just finished the first book of the series, can make out how this is going to go.A truly inspiring effort by Amish on the tricky task of writing religious stories.

Blue Valentine : My favorite scene.

I knew that Blue Valentine had an Academy award nomination but never got around to seeing it. After seeing "The Notebook" a few months ago I thought i got to watch more Ryan Gosling movies. Eventhough I was terribly disappointed with the drab script of Ides of March.I thought Blue Valentine being a romantic movie should be where Ryan feels at home. The movie did not disappoint. If "The Notebook" was about the development of a relationship. This movie describes the slow disintegration of a relationship. Wonderful work by the Director Derek Cianfrance. This is the most honest movie I have ever seen on a relationship.

Both Ryan and Michelle's performances were enthralling and they really utilized the script to display their full range of acting.I have a favorite scene in the movie which had a conversation between them. The script is reproduced below.
Cindy is Michele's character and Dean is Ryan's.
CINDY
Why don’t you do something...
DEAN
What do you mean?
CINDY
I don’t know.
DEAN
What does that mean? Why don’t I do something?
CINDY
Isn’t there anything you want to do?
DEAN
Like what?
CINDY
I don’t know. You’re so good at so many things, you could do anything you wanted to do, you’re good at everything that you do, isn’t there something else you wanna do?
DEAN
Than what? Than be a husband, to be Frankie’s dad? What do you want me to do? In your dream scenario of me doing what I’m good at, what would that be?
CINDY
I don’t know, you’re so good at so many things, you can do so many things, you have such capacity.
DEAN
For what?
CINDY
You can sing, you can draw, you can dance.
DEAN
Listen I didn’t wanna be somebody’s husband and I didn’t wanna be somebody’s dad. That wasn’t my goal in life. For some guys it is... Wasn’t mine. But somehow, I’ve found what I wanted. I didn’t know that and now it’s all I wanna do... I don’t want to do anything else,
it’s what I want to do. I work so I can do that.
CINDY
I’d like to see you have a job where you didn’t have to start drinking at 8 o’clock in the morning to go to it.
DEAN
No, I have a job that I can drink at 8 o’clock in the morning. What a luxury, you know. I get up for work, I have a beer, I go to work, I paint somebody’s house, they’re excited about it. I come home, I get to be with you. That’s like... this is the dream!
CINDY
It doesn’t ever disappoint you?
DEAN
Why? Why would it disappoint me?
CINDY
Because you have all this potential.
DEAN
So what! Why do you have to make money off your potential?
CINDY
Look, I’m not even saying you have to make money off it. Don’t you miss it?
DEAN
What does potential even mean? What does that mean, potential? Potential for what? To turn it into what?
CINDY
(flustered) You know, we rarely sit down and have an adult conversation. Because every time we do, you take what I say and you turn it around into something that I didn’t mean. You just twist it. Start Blabbing, blah blah blah blah blah.
DEAN
If you're not interested in what I have to say then maybe I just shouldn’t say anything. Cindy laughs.
DEAN (cont’d)
That’s funny, huh? What’s funny about that?
CINDY
Good luck. I’d like to see you think about what you say instead of saying what you think all the time. Good luck, give it a try!
DEAN
What are you doin, you wanna fight me?
CINDY
Yeah I wanna fight you.
Some wonderful writing there coupled with good acting made that scene memorable for me.