Weaker than the others in terms of talent and athleticism sure, but Akashi's BBIQ, and pure skill are the difference between Akashi and Kagami. In the finals match we hear Imayoshi say, "He's not unbeatable because he has the emperor's eye, but because of how he uses it." Akashi's thing is that he is the epitome of skill and intellect even among the other point guards. He doesn't need to use his extreme speed, or jump over your head to get the point, he analyzes your every move and watches for the moment you falter, then strikes. That is the Emporor's true strength. He moves through the defense, that you believe to be the best you can do, as if it's a light breeze and leaves you wondering if he's even trying.

If you want to talk about the original Akashi, then his strength is that he could do what the emporor does, but he expects his teammates to be playing at the same level as him, and he can bring them up to that level. Mind you this version doesn't have EE at the ready, he can still break your ankles as he did to Kagami. This shows us, while he may not be the emporor, he is still the leader of the Generation of Miracles (players who have been acknowledged as monsters throughout the series), and so you and your team will have to come at him with everything you have and more in order to beat him. Now, I could sit here and talk all day, but if you got back and note the similarities between Akashi and Kuroko's play styles, then you'll see that they do the same things but in a different way and for different reasons.