The first pick of the 2015 NBA draft was a lock, like it so often it is. The Minnesota Timberwolves were in need of everything, but at the top of their list was an explosive big man who could score in a variety of ways and also defend. Enter: Karl Anthony-Towns.

When it was time for the Los Angeles Lakers to make their selection at No. 2, it appeared for weeks on end that Duke big man Jahlil Okafor was going to see his name in purple and gold. But as the draft got closer, D’Angelo Russell started to seem more and more like the next player to see his name go up in Hollywood lights.

Ultimately the Lakers went with the 6-foot-5 point guard from Ohio State with the smooth handle and NBA-ready game. Russell was immediately donned as the heir apparent to Kobe Bryant in L.A., a moniker that even the toughest competitor would have trouble living up to at just 19 years old.

Lakers fans are getting their first looks at Russell at the Las Vegas Summer League taking place right now. Russell is not playing against seasoned veterans and should be putting up gaudy numbers like the other two top-three draft picks. But instead, Russell has look overwhelmed, overmatched and simply in over his head.

The player with the most potential to be a superstar according to a mythical system of calculations by ESPN, is averaging 10.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists through his three games thus far in Summer League. Those numbers may not seem all that troublesome, but what is alarming is his 6.7 turnovers and 4.0 fouls per game in 81 total minutes of game action.

The primary ball-handler for not only Kobe’s swansong season but also for what the franchise hoped was the next decade has 10 total assists in three games; he has double that number of turnovers with 20 in three games. In all, Russell only has 10 more points than turnovers, a scary statistic after three games.

Now, there could be a lot behind Russell’s slow start. It always seems harder for smaller players to get adjusted to the NBA pace than the bigs, and moving from running the show at a Big Ten school compared to the Lakers was always going to be an uphill battle. But still, where there’s smoke there’s usually fire. His performance in the summer has been subpar to say the least.

The Lakers are one of the most recognizable brands in all of sports and have fans throughout the country, so when the team faced off against No. 4 pick Kristaps Porzingis and the New York Knicks it was packed arena of mostly Lakers fans. What they saw was a five-point, yes five-point first quarter output by their squad. Russell only took seven total shots, making three of them. He finished with eight points and eight turnovers.

The Lakers and their omnipresent superstar are waiting back in the City of Angels for the second coming, but so far Russell has looked a lot more like a bust than brilliant.

Douglas Ammon is an NBA Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Who covers all things about the Association, follow him on Twitter @DA76er