Sam Amick of SI.com grades the Portland Trail Blazers an A+ for their 2012 NBA Draft haul. ------------------------------- Tremendous work by a Blazers group that prepared for the draft while dealing with a major transition period, as general manager Neil Olshey was hired just weeks ago after a year with Chad Buchanan running the show as an interim GM. Weber State point guard Damian Lillard (No. 6) was their top target, and he'll fill the void left by free-agent point guard Raymond Felton. Illinois center Meyers Leonard (No. 11) has his critics and isn't a sure thing, but he impressed numerous teams more than Tyler Zeller during the draft process and has a rare combination of size, speed and athleticism (he was in play for New Orleans at No. 10 as well). The rich got richer at No. 40, where Will Barton was a steal. Barton, who deemed himself the best wing in the draft earlier this month, was seen by many as a first-round pick. ------------------------------- ed: text edited, bumped to front page