*waggles a hand back and forth* We're mostly talking about different time-frames, here. Obviously, Kuroko's development since Teikou is a new direction for him and probably dates from his resignation. Obviously, he was never Teikou's primary strategist. And he certainly bonds most tightly with Kagami, on his new team. That isn't what I'm arguing. Rather, I'm saying that Kuroko is consistently shown to gain people's respect and compliance very quickly. His suggestions are accepted by his senpai right from that first practice game with Kaijou, and Hyuuga says something during that game about Kuroko's effect on the team. Kuroko's also the one Kise tries to recruit, Midorima is pissed off with precisely because he respects him, the one who gets away with scolding Aomine and telling (vice-captain) Midorima that he's being childish. He's not a shining-star type, but he's the connecting thread from very early on in a way Akashi has not been shown to be. It's possible that will change now Akashi's in the open, but I think this connection (which, yes, is still developing) will be one of Kuroko's particular strengths.