With winning mentality, Young shouldn’t have trouble fitting in with Raptors

TSN Raptors Reporter

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TORONTO – One of the best games of Thaddeus Young’s 15-year career came in the arena he now calls home, and the newly acquired Raptors forward has no recollection of it.

The Philadelphia 76ers were visiting Scotiabank Arena, formerly known as the Air Canada Centre, on March 7, 2010. Young, who was 21 and in his third NBA season at the time, had been coming off the bench but got a spot start when the regular starter, Samuel Dalembert, showed up late for a team meeting.

The Georgia Tech product and former 12th-overall pick ended up playing 43 minutes that night. He hit 13 of his 18 shots, scored 32 points – which remains his career high more than a decade later – and led his team to a 114-101 road win over Toronto.

“Oh that’s crazy,” Young said, reminded of that contest. “I did not know that.”

It’s a bit unusual for a player to forget his highest-scoring game; most remember it down to the smallest and most insignificant detail. In fairness to Young, though, it’s been a while – for perspective, Chris Bosh was still a Raptor in 2009-10 and DeMar DeRozan was in his rookie season – and he’s played a lot of games. Besides, those types of things aren’t exactly top of mind for the veteran.

“Honestly, the biggest thing I pay attention to is [winning],” Young continued. “At the end of the day, are we winning basketball games or are we losing basketball games, and if we are losing, how can we win basketball games?”

With that approach, it shouldn’t take long for him to fit right in. Young arrived in Toronto on Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the deadline-day deal that sent him from San Antonio to the Raptors, along with a second-round pick, in exchange for Goran Dragic’s expiring