Dwyane Wade: Why He'll Rank Ahead of LeBron James on Best of All-Time List

So apparently, this whole LeBron James and Dwyane Wade experiment could work out after all. With the team at 42-15, both players averaging over 25 points per game, and earning serious MVP consideration, Wade and James have proved their preseason critics wrong.

Since their 9-8 start, Wade and James have gone 31-7 with most of those losses coming by way of an injury to one or two members of the Big Three. When fully healthy, the Big Three have appeared unstoppable in numerous stretches.

At least not when they face the Boston Celtics, but that's a problem that will be solved in due time.

Nevertheless, Wade and James have progressed greatly as teammates since their first game together in late October. They overcame their struggles in the first month of the season and sometimes appear to play like they have been teammates since they were drafted in 2003.

With Chris Bosh and a quality cast of supporting role players, James and Wade have never looked better. Not only is one of them destined for an MVP award, but a championship could be on the horizon as well.

The prospect of winning a championship this year may seem far-fetched considering just how dismal they have sometimes played against the elite teams, but we have seen how these two have played when it comes to the postseason.

As much as James has been criticized for his postseason play, his career average in five postseasons is 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists per game. Wade is in a league of his own when it comes to playing after the regular season as he has registered some of the greatest performances in NBA history.

In only eight short seasons, these two players have accomplished more than what most veterans have only dreamed about. 

James has made a name for himself as one of the most athletic and talented individuals to play the game, while Wade has become a respected name in the NBA community for his perseverance through injuries, his clutch play late in games and the ability to carry just about any team on his back through times of turmoil.

Even when they weren't on the same team, matchups between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat turned into spectacles to behold. Their Jan. 15 game last season remains as arguably the greatest display of individual talent between two players in a single game.

Over the course of three and a half minutes, James and Wade went shot for shot with each bucket more impressive than the last. It was pure, raw talent being put on display as two titans clashed in an attempt to prove just who really was the most talented player on the court.

That is no longer a concern, though, since the two have now joined forces. There shouldn't be any arguments of who the Miami Heat belong to or who should take the last shot between Wade and James because these two players have set aside their differences in an attempt to not become great individuals, but to become great teammates.

The track records of these two superstars have already made them Hall of Fame worthy and deserving of being included in the 50 best players of all-time list when their careers do come to a close.

Who should be higher now is the real question.

Each player has an advantage at some aspect.

James is already in the history books for being one of the few players in NBA history to win consecutive MVP awards and could earn an immediate first ballot vote if he completes the trifecta this season. Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell are currently the only players to ever win three consecutive MVP awards and James could be the fourth if he can continue to average big numbers, while leading the team to near, or above, 60 wins.

Wade doesn't have the MVP and individual awards to support his case, but he does have the most important hardware: the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Not only does he have the trophy, he is the sole reason why he and 15 other players can boast a championship on their track record as well.

He averaged an absurd 35 points per game in a series against the Dallas Mavericks that appeared to be destined for a Mavericks sweep. After going down 2-0, Wade led the team back from a fourth quarter deficit in Game 3 to a win and then went on to win the next three games to give the Heat their first championship in franchise history.

The fact that Wade has one championship to James' zero is reason enough to give the edge to Wade. As long as these two are playing together, and no matter how many championships they win over the next decade, Wade will always be able to boast having one more ring on his finger than his fellow teammate.

Not to mention, Wade didn't need to join up with two other superstars to win it, all he needed was an aging Shaquille O'Neal and a core that consisted of veteran's that were no more than role players.

James' departure of Cleveland is also a cause for concern when it comes down to evaluating these players' legacies at the end of their careers. James made the right decision to leave Cleveland for Miami (face it, Gilbert wasn't getting anybody), but it was the way he left that raised eyebrows.

Even though James' "decision" raised money for charity, it was a huge slap in the face to his loyal fans in Cleveland who had worshiped the superstar for seven years.

In no way does this affect his stats and performance, but it will always be remembered when people look at James' career down the line, when compared to Wade, who has been mostly recognized as a low-key, modest player.

Even with the off-court tendencies by both players, television specials shouldn't determine who will be remembered as the better player, but it will determine who had the more impressive legacy.

It's one of the most hotly contested debates in the NBA when determining just who is the better player between Wade and James. Both players share similar styles of play with each being recognized as an elite slasher and driver that could hit a jump shot from time to time.

James' three-point shot is superior to Wade's, but Wade's mid-range game is one of the most volatile in the league today. They are basically the same player with James holding an advantage in size.

When it comes down to winning games at times where it appeared impossible, there is no one in the league much better at it than Wade. Not to take anything away from James, who is a quality clutch player, but Wade has held the advantage in late game moments at any stage of the season.

As far as legacies go, you can always go back to Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals and see just how dominant of a player he could be.

James has played in one NBA Finals, but didn't have the benefit of playing alongside the likes of Shaq or Gary Payton. Instead, he had to look towards Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Eric Snow to help him out against a balanced team in San Antonio.

It is still worthy of recognition for James to even advance that far into the postseason with the supporting cast he had surrounding him. With a quality team surrounding him now, it'll be interesting to see just how good of a player James can play when the lights are at their brightest.

It's a little too early to determine who will have the better track record at the end of each player's career. We have yet to even see what James and Wade are truly capable of when playing on the same team.

Only 57 games into the season and we have seen just how dominant these two can be when playing together, and by the end of their tenure's together a few years from now, maybe then we can determine just who will be recognized as the better player.

For now, let's just enjoy the ride.