THIS IS MARCH: Cade Cunningham Gets In On The Madness By Burying The Heat With An Incredible Game Winner

Issac Baldizon. Getty Images.

There are certain signs that tell you March Madness is right around the corner. The Alabama State Hail Mary is a great example of what I'm talking about. You saw that play and deep in your bones you probably felt the same thing as everyone else who watched that play. March had arrived. 

In the NBA, March doesn't exactly have the same juice. It's that weird limbo time of the schedule where the good teams have to be smart with the playoffs so close and the bad teams need to avoid wins at all costs as their priorities now shift to the Lottery. But you know what? Sometimes March Madness is so powerful that it can even elevate a random NBA matchup. That's why it's fitting that on the eve of Day 1 we had ourselves a quality March Madness moment, only an NBA edition

Imagine not watching the Pistons this season? Could never be me. Their games are insane. Anyone who has watched the Pistons this season will tell you, they've had a ton of wild finishes over the course of these 82 games, so for them a moment like this has in a way become the norm. Especially for a player like Cade Cunningham who has taken a serious leap as a legitimate All NBA player. When you begin a rebuild as a franchise, you have to hit on the player you designate to be the franchise guy. When you get that choice right, it changes your franchise forever. When you get that choice wrong, it can set you back decades. Many players fail when it comes to shouldering that responsibility, whereas Cade has clearly succeeded. His being a true #1 type of player is the foundation of this entire turnaround. 

In terms of the shot itself, that's about as good as it gets. A bank shot game winner on the road right in the face of Bam Adebayo? That's a tough ass shot, even if he didn't intend to bank it in. Getting it off that cleanly with such a quality defender closing out like that is big time stuff.

The broadcast is right too by the way. When your fortune turns as a franchise and you become a winning team, those shots go in. When your fortune turns the other way, that shot goes in against you. This led to the Heat's 9th straight loss. Heat Culture isn't even on life support, it's dead and in need of a revival. You won't get a better example of one team on the come up and the other on a fast track to the bottom than that game winner. That's just how things work in the NBA.

Meanwhile, the Pistons continue to make their push for a top 4 seed, but if things end up how they are today, we get Cade in MSG for huge playoff games. You're telling me you can't see him pulling a Trae Young and having huge moments in that building? Maybe a shot just like tonight?

All I know is a game winner like that at any time of year is awesome, but for it to come on the eve of Day 1 gives me a different type of excitement. We're about to get so many moments just like this once the games kick off tomorrow I can't even stand it.