Toronto Raptors guard Ben Uzoh (18) chases Sacramento Kings guard Josh Akognon (0) in the Vegas Summer League

Who is this guy??

Maybe the hottest shooter at the Dallas Mavericks’ training camp.  He doesn’t even have a guaranteed contract but Josh Akognon (pronounced uh-koy-nun) may end up being the biggest surprise of all in a group of impressive rookies.

Finishing up practice before heading to Barcelona, four players were locked in a three-point shootout – Dirk, Mayo, Roddy and…Josh Akognon.

The Dallas Mavericks released Tu Holoway and DJ Mbenga Tuesday leaving Akognon as the sole remaining player outside of the presumptive “Gang of 15.”  But if you don’t know who Akognon is and you thought you were paying attention, it’s hard to believe he slid under the radar.

This is the same guy who impressively came off the bench playing for the Sacramento Kings just this summer in Las Vegas to lead the team, averaging 19.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.  But that type of performance isn’t unusual.

Josh’s play in college was nothing short of electrifying. Playing his first two years of at Washington State, he was voted the Pac-10′s “Most Underrated Player” by Sports Illustrated and as with his play this last summer for the Kings, Akognon led the team in scoring despite coming off the bench most of the year.

He transferred to Cal State-Fullerton for his junior and senior years and achieved numerous accolades.  His senior year was named the 2008-09 Big West Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, averaging 23.9 points per game, good for 8th in the nation.  A scoring machine, he hit 136 three-pointers (2nd best in the nation per game) and 132 free throws (8th best in the nation with 89.2% FT percentage) and set a Big West Tournament scoring record with 37 points including 9 threes.  He reached double figures in 36 of 37 games, scored over 20 points twenty-two times, over 30 points six times and even had two 41 point games.

Josh has something in common with late-to-the-game rookie Bernard James, who is entering the NBA at age 27.  A five-year player in college (with a year off for transferring), Akognon was not drafted and instead spent three years overseas, playing professional ball in the Estonian League, Baltic League and Chinese Basketball Association before finally landing a brief stint the NBA Developmental League’s Canton Charge in 2012.  A Nigerian-American, he also played for the Nigerian team in FIBA competition.  He lands at the Mavericks camp at the ripe old age of 26, just a year younger than James.

Akognon was on his way back to China where teams placed him high on their priority list. In 2010-2011, his first year, he averaged 28.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals per game and followed up with similar numbers in 2011-2012.   After playing in the summer league for Sacramento he was prepared to head on back to China but after receiving an offer from Mark Cuban he opted to go to Mavericks training camp.

It’s not surprising that NBADraft.net reports he has been considered one of the fastest scorers around with numerous offensive moves, many of which he is able to execute against almost anyone.   Combining speed, misdirection and a quick release he can get his shot off almost anytime and can hit from anywhere including beyond the arc.  Despite his size (he is listed at 5′ 11″ and 185 lbs.) he is also not afraid to make contact and goes to the line frequently while connecting at a 90% clip.

There is a lot of upside potential to Akognon, who has a reputation for scoring even when the opposing team keys on him, certainly the case during most of his college career when he wasn’t surrounded by great talent.   During his sophomore season, after Akognon earned Pac-10 player of the week honors he proceeded to score 25 points against UCLA while being guarded primarily by noted defensive stopper Arron Afflalo.

But of course, there are reasons he isn’t already in the NBA.  While somewhat small even for a point guard, his skills are more suited to an off guard and he is significantly undersized for that position.  While his quickness enables him to stay in front of most players, they can take advantage by posting him up and naturally, contesting shots is sometimes difficult.  Coming out of college he had not learned to use his quickness to get into the passing lane and on offense, his game had not matured for the talent level and team play of the NBA.  He showed a tendency to be overly concerned with finding his own shot and somewhat shortsighted in not passing off frequently enough.   As a result he would frequently over dribble or find himself in traffic and that can be even more of a dead end at the NBA level.

Still, after three years overseas there has been much time for improvement.  Josh, a husband and father, left the sunny skies of California for the freezing cold of the Baltics and then to Southern China in order to support his family and now hopes he can finally find success in the NBA.   His mentors have told him and he is well aware that he must continue to do what he does best but work on being more of a playmaker and passing the ball.  He also fully understands that much like one of his summer teammates, Jimmer Fredette, lights-out scoring in college doesn’t necessarily immediately translate into making a huge impact in the NBA.

On a team loaded with combo guards, the Dallas roster may be tough to crack.   If nothing else he will probably be offered a spot on the Texas Legends but it seems more likely that if he doesn’t make the squad he will head back to China, where he will get lots of playing time and a better paycheck to support his family.

Needless to say, Josh could be one of the feel-good surprises of the year and judging by the way he can put the ball in the hoop, giving him a chance could be exciting.   A little new “instant offense” should always be on the menu and good things do sometimes come in small packages.

We’ll be watching.

Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

The Mavericks effectively played without a true backup point guard last year following the departure of J.J. Barea.  With Jason Kidd’s playing time somewhat limited and his output diminished as well as Delonte West suffering an injury that kept him out for several weeks, the Mavs had to rely on a troupe of combo guards to run the show at least part-time for much of the season.   With the failure to land Deron Williams, Steve Nash or Jeremy Lin this summer and Kidd’s subsequent departure for the Big Apple, it was anybody’s guess for a while would be the Maverick point guards this coming season.

Cuban & Co. were unsuccessful with the original plans for free agency but managed a magnificent turnaround by landing a promising group of rookies and veteran free agents, as well as one transaction largely viewed as lopsided in the Mavs favor – the trade which sent Ian Mahinmi to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Darren Collison and Dahntay Jones.  While there was talk and interest in possibly bringing the disgruntled Jose Calderon down from the Toronto Raptors, it appears Collison will immediately be stepping into the starting point guard slot.

While Jason Kidd had a lot to offer in terms of experience and leadership and is virtually beyond compare as a floor general, his physical skills have waned to the point that losing him is more of an emotional loss than a logistical one and the Mavs will have the opportunity to take advantage of the things that Collison brings to the table.

Collison has some interesting parallels to O. J. Mayo in coming out with a high pedigree and turning heads his rookie season and then sliding into mediocrity later.  A rare four-year collegian at UCLA with numerous honors, he was considered one of the top point guard prospects in the 2009 draft.  Small in stature but with a solid all-around game, he landed with the New Orleans Hornets, where he could not have been expected to be anything more than a backup to Chris Paul.

Yet circumstances allowed him to make the most of the opportunity.    With Chris Paul out for much of the season, Collison ended up as the starter during that time and had a terrific year.  He set Hornets rookie-record 18 assists on January 30, 2010 vs. the Memphis Grizzlies and broke his own record with 20 in a victory over the Golden State Warriors later that year. In a game against the Indiana Pacers on February 19, 2010, he became only the second rookie of the 2009-2010 season to get a triple-double with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists.

Averaging 18.8 points and 9.1 assists as a starter, he finished 4th in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting but was traded to the Indiana Pacers in August of 2010.   While he continued to start, his numbers fell considerable two years in a row and he lost his starting job to George Hill at the beginning of the 2012 playoffs and with the Pacers signing Hill to a long-term contract after the season, Collison became expendable.

The question would seem to be which Collison will show up in Dallas.  His numbers in Indiana were certainly not terrible but ended up around half of his totals as a rookie subbing for Paul.  Compared to Kidd’s numbers that isn’t a drop-off but if you have to lose Jason Kidd you hope to get a bump in other areas.  If he’s consistent with his Indiana play the Mavs won’t suffer but if he returns to his rookie form it will be a huge bonus for the Mavs and an exceptionally ironic twist for the team that lost out on plans A, B and C in this summer’s point guard replacement derby.

What should be expected from Collison?  For the first time in memory, the Mavericks have potent scorers in every position on the floor and not just the other starters.   After your primary and secondary options, presumably Dirk and O. J. Mayo, Chris Kaman and Shawn Marion are more than capable both inside and outside.  From the bench, Vince Carter, Elton Brand and a promising group of youngsters give the Mavs great offensive depth, so it would seem that the real value on this team is going to be Collision’s ability to create and dish rather than score.

Coming out of college Draft Express observed: “He has a strong skill set for a point guard, and reports are saying over the summer he has improved his ability to anticipate where teammates will be on the floor,” an ideal scenario for this Mavericks team.  He has proven to be a capable midrange and three point shooter as well, so he can hit from outside when needed.

His youth and speed should be an asset in the pick and roll, however, as well as helping on defense.  As ESPN’s Tim McMahon has stated, “Collison’s speed and quickness are his best attributes.”

While his size may be a problem with some bigger guards, the Mavericks now have a number of capable defenders so he shouldn’t have to be left to guard the league’s elite alone.  Overall, he has been solid defensively with size being the major concern.  Draft Express continued:

“Defensively, Collison really excels at the college level, playing good fundamental man-to-man defense on the perimeter, showing good anticipation in the passing lanes, playing good pressure defense when needed, and having good lateral quickness as well. He does tend to struggle at times with ball screens, not quite having the strength to get around them. Collison may not be as effective at the next level due to his size…but should be at least an above average defender because of his fundamentals and basketball IQ.”

As an added bonus, Collison is quite familiar with O. J. Mayo, having played with him in summer pickup games while Mayo was with crosstown rival USC.   Considering Dahntay Jones accompanied Darren in the trade from the Pacers, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand are also played together for the L.A. Clippers and Kaman and Dirk were together on the German national team, this newly assembled group may have a jump start on gelling as a cohesive unit.

Entering a contract year with an opportunity for a fresh start, Collison seems highly motivated to move beyond losing his starting job and a couple of early playoff exits.   While the national media and haters have viewed the new-look Mavs as a bunch of castoffs, clearly the potential is there for a talented if somewhat unpredictable dark horse to emerge.  With Collison at the helm and to some degree, with any significant changes to a team it may be uncertain exactly how things will play out.  In this case it should be interesting.  Chances are he will find a way to fit in with this rough but talented mix of youth and experience and that could lead to a similarly surprising parallel to a familiar NBA Champion of two years ago.

Collison himself concurs:

“The challenge is…when you put guys together.  For me, as a point guard trying to lead this team, I’ve got to make sure guys understand that this is a great opportunity for us to do something (the Mavs) did two years ago.”

Keep your fingers crossed.