INDIANAPOLIS — Is the Nets’ largest problem one of height, effort or scheme?

Coach Jacque Vaughn said he believes it is a mixture, mostly of effort and scheme.

Entering their 128-117 loss to the Pacers on Friday, the Nets were last in the NBA in rebounding rate, by an average of five boards per game. They possess the length needed to alter shots (their 7.5 blocks per game were best in the league), but have not tracked down loose balls after misses.

What can be fixed?

“We keep going back to it. Even we had three clips on the film today [in practice], just to show the different layers that go into it,” Vaughn, who has blasted the team’s effort on a few occasions, said before the game.

According to Vaughn, the ability of the Nets’ big men to switch on screens — agile Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons are capable of defense against guards — often gets them switched away from the rim.

“That’s a piece of it,” Vaughn said before the Nets were outrebounded 41-38. “Then you have the piece of smalls. Instead of thinking, ‘I’m going to leak out and go play offense,’ which is nice and fun, [you think] ‘I gotta go back and help.’

“It’s layered.”

Much of the blame for the Nets’ uneven and underwhelming start to the season has gone to their defense. The Nets had held opponents to just 44 percent shooting from the field entering Friday, which was the best in the league. The more significant issue has been corralling the ball, particularly after opponents’ missed shots.

The only reason their win Wednesday at Toronto was ever in doubt was because the Nets allowed the Raptors to grab 23 offensive boards that led to 34 second-chance points. (The Nets had eight second-chance points). The Nets lost in Philadelphia on Tuesday in large part because the 76ers grabbed 14 more rebounds — including 20 offensive boards.

Entering Friday, the Nets had snatched a defensive rebound just 72.3 percent of the time, which was the lowest in the NBA.

The Nets have played lackadaisically at times, but it is possible the problem lies with the personnel. Though they are long, the Nets typically are outweighed, particularly underneath the hoop. Claxton, who is listed as 6-foot-11 and 226 pounds, is vulnerable against more traditional, stronger centers. The Nets’ other center who plays often, Simmons, is a very tall point guard.

Claxton and Simmons have shared the floor to start games recently (including Friday), which gives them a couple of lean towers at the price of possible offensive stagnation.

Vaughn hopes a renewed emphasis on hustling, boxing out and not letting guards leak into fast breaks can solve the issue.

If not, the problem could be general manager Sean Marks’ to address.

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Seth Curry played after he sat out Wednesday in Toronto on the second night of a back-to-back. Curry, who had offseason ankle surgery, has not yet played games on consecutive days this season. He scored 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting in 28 minutes.

“We’re just looking at the totality of it all — still November,” Vaughn said. “The goal is — and I’m quite sure he will —… get to playing back-to-backs.”

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Yuta Watanabe (hamstring strain) missed all three games of the road trip. Vaughn, who said the team is taking a “conservative approach,” would not commit to Watanabe being ready for the home game Sunday against the Trail Blazers.

“We’re going to reassess him when we get him home,” Vaughn said. “But not really worried that this is something that’s going to last for a long time.”

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T.J. Warren (foot surgery), who has not played since December 2021, has progressed to a “mix of five-on-five with coaches and players,” Vaughn said. “No setbacks and hopefully that continues.”