Jaden Akins throws down one of the best dunks the G-League will see this year

Jaden Akins is one of those former Michigan State basketball players whose production at the pro level might just out-weigh what he did in East Lansing.

It’s rare for players who went undrafted to really look like NBA talents early on in their G-League careers, but Akins is turning some heads with the Motor City Cruise.

Earlier this week, I wrote about Akins reaching 53 assists faster than any other player in Cruise franchise history. It was a rather shocking development considering he wasn’t an elite passer at Michigan State. He was more of an off-ball two-guard who hunted for his own shot. He was a catch-and-shoot specialist who also played great defense.

Now, at the pro level, Akins is becoming an elite passer. He’s averaging over seven assists per game to go along with 18.3 points. He looks like one of those guys who will surpass all expectations and make it to the NBA one way or another.

Akins is sure making his presence felt in the G-League.

On Tuesday, Akins had a career game with the Cruise, scoring 33 points and shooting over 70 percent from the floor. He added six more assists to his total, but his best play of the night was a drive down the lane for a thunderous slam that had the play-by-play announcer losing his mind.

Akins has clearly been working on his ball-handling as he had the ball poked away from him, he quickly recovered without panicking, drove down the lane and threw down one of the most vicious dunks you’ll see all year from anyone not named Coen Carr.

While he was at Michigan State, Akins was known for throwing down some monster dunks — especially for a guard. He’s not the biggest guy on the floor, but he plays much larger than his 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame, and the G-League is starting to notice. He’s been red-hot this season and all he needs to do is continue playing with confidence and NBA teams will have a tough time turning him away.

Tom Izzo has to be thrilled with the development Akins has undergone over the past 2-3 years. He’s become a completely different (better) player.