It was a given when the Nets traded away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving that their offense would take a step back.

But shockingly, it’s been the defense that’s taken two or three steps back — and stumbled off a cliff.

“We were all concerned about us scoring and putting up points — and I think we have enough firepower to do that — but we have to take our defensive mindset to a different level,” Jacque Vaughn said. “We have to be extremely confident in guarding the guy in front of you and take pride in doing that because that’s the first part of our defense.”

Even after Friday night’s stirring come-from-behind victory in Boston, the Nets have just a 2-6 record since officially moving on from Durant and Irving (they are 3-8 since they agreed to trade Irving). And despite bringing back accomplished defenders in 2022 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson, it’s that end of the floor that has been the biggest disaster.