MANILA, Philippines - Allein Maliksi, who emerged as the Star Hotshots’ scoring leader in a breakout performance in the recent PBA Philippine Cup, is the latest Gilas Pilipinas’ recruit who will replace the injured Paul Lee in the Team Gilas pool.
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Maliksi was to join Gilas before the end of Day One of the national pool’s three-day training camp at Splendido in Tagaytay yesterday. Lee, a member of the Gilas team in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain, is out of the camp due to a meniscal tear.
National coach Chot Reyes, however, isn’t completely closing the door on Lee, a guard who can match up with the big guards in the FIBA Asia Cup in August.
Also failing to make the Tagaytay training is GlobalPort guard Terrence Romeo who’s been sick for five days. June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar were given more time to rest after their stints in the recent all-Filipino tourney.
Maliksi, a former UM Hawk and UST Tiger in collegiate play, wil provide outside threats for Gilas, adding depth to the wing roster that includes Matt Wright, Art dela Cruz, Jonathan Grey, Roger Pogoy and Kevin Ferrer.
The reed-thin 6-foot-4 shooter led the Hotshots in scoring in the Philippine Cup with an average of 14.2 points a game – his biggest norm in a tourney since joining the league as the No. 8 pick in the 2011 PBA Draft.
Maliksi was among the deadliest three-point shooters in the tourney, ranking No. 4 in average three-pointers made (2.4 an outing) and No. 5 in percentage (39.34 percent).