Imagine what the Phoenix Suns are going to do against the defensively challenged Nets unless they show some resistance.

Phoenix, the NBA’s highest-scoring team, is the Nets’ next opponent on this four-game trip. There are worse defensive teams than the Nets, but the way they’ve played the last three games on that end of the floor shows that they’re not giving any type of effort toward stopping teams.

The latest example was a 106-95 loss to the Clippers that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate. The Clippers opened the game with a season-high 39 first-quarter points, registered 61 points in the first half, and the 106 points Los Angeles scored was their fifth-highest output this season.

Over the last three games, teams have shot 54.3 percent and averaged 112.7 points against the Nets. The Suns average about 109 per game. It will be shocking if they don’t try to put the game away early and at least reach their season average Wednesday when they play the Nets.

“You can’t give up 39 points in the first quarter and expect to win a basketball game,” coach Kiki Vandeweghe said on the YES Network. “Guys played OK the last three quarters, but OK isn’t good enough. In my opinion, I did not see the effort over the course of the game. We saw it in spurts, but we did not see the effort we need to win.”

The Nets let the Clippers score at will inside. They had 54 points in the paint and there were no repercussions when Los Angeles went to the basket. But it starts on the perimeter, and the Nets’ guards didn’t stop penetration.

At some point, Vandeweghe is going to have to do something with his lineups and rotations. Everyone knows this season is all about developing players and keeping them positive and not tearing them down. But this is where Vandeweghe needs to stop thinking like a general manager and start thinking and acting like a coach. Don’t worry about the player’s feelings. Sit guys down if they’re not going to give the requisite effort on the defensive end. Show them that they have to try.

There is no reason for every Nets starter to play at least 29 minutes. Maybe Vandeweghe thought some of the starters could help cut into the Clippers’ lead, like when the Nets brought a 16-point deficit down to seven early in the third. But about seven minutes later, it was 82-62.

Pull those guys early and put in someone else, even some veterans you haven’t played much lately, just to let the developing guys know that, if they fail to show up on the defensive end, they’re not going to play long enough to pad their stats.

“The first quarter, I did not see any effort on the defensive end,” Vandeweghe said. “We have to keep working at it. Everyone has to understand you’re going to have to play harder. Good teams play harder on the defensive end than on the offensive end.”

The Nets are not a good team, clearly. And other teams can’t wait to play them. The Suns had the Grizzlies tonight, but their offense has to be looking forward to seeing the no-defense Nets.

Al Iannazzone covers the Nets for The Record (Bergen County, N.J.)