INDIANAPOLIS — Nets fans are going to be thankful whenever Jeremy Lin returns.

With each passing game — and each lopsided loss — it’s increasingly clear that Brooklyn’s point-guard problems aren’t going away until Lin’s hamstring heals, and that the team may not be competitive until that happens.

The Nets have dropped five straight games to drag a 4-10 mark into Friday’s game at the Pacers. They have lost seven of nine since Lin was sidelined, their minus-9.8 scoring margin in that skid the worst in the NBA.

The Nets had a huge disadvantage at the point in Wednesday’s 111-92 loss to Boston, and it has been that way almost every night.

“Listen, I think Isaiah [Whitehead] for a first-year guy is really … I mean, he really got after it defensively [Wednesday],” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Obviously there’s a big learning curve offensively.

“Sean [Kilpatrick] gave us some good minutes. We’re going to have to do that by committee until Jeremy comes back, and keep getting better at it. Hopefully the more games we play, the more comfortable they get, and we’ll be a little better.”

They need to get a lot better to win games, but the question is, can they?

Brooklyn had no answer for Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, who had 23 points, five assists, two turnovers and finished a plus-10. Meanwhile, their trio of Whitehead, Yogi Ferrell and Randy Foye combined for just six points and five assists, with four turnovers for a minus-14.

Whitehead hurt his hand guarding Al Horford, but X-rays were negative and he downplayed the injury as well as any pressure he’s under.

“Pressure is over with. I played a couple of times, I started a couple times, so that’s behind me. It’s just about getting out there and getting better every play,’’ Whitehead said. “I just try to get better every game, either at the offensive or the defensive end, just somehow, some way get better.”

Brooklyn only can hope he finds a way because the point guard play is jarring.

When Lin is on the court, they’re a solid, possibly even above-average team, outscoring opponents by 1.8 points per 100 possessions. Without him, they have been outscored by 8.1 points, a difference of almost 10 points.

The Nets have faced stellar lead guards during their five-game skid, with Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard and Thomas among the league’s five highest-scoring lead guards while Chris Paul and D’Angelo Russell are both just outside the top 10. Next up is Jeff Teague.

But the issue runs deeper than just Lin’s hamstring, because the Nets’ don’t have a reliable backup. Brandon Jennings, who had started for the Bucks and Pistons, had interest in the Nets over the summer, and sources confirmed there was dialogue. But they signed Lin, and Jennings has excelled on the other side of the East River.

Jennings had 11 assists to lead the Knicks to a win over Portland on Tuesday, two days after Nets point guards had struggled in a 20-point loss to those same Blazers. Asked by the Post if he had come close to joining the Nets, Jennings replied, “Nah. They didn’t want me.”

They clearly wanted young combo guard Tyler Johnson, signing the restricted free agent to a $50 million offer sheet only to see Miami match it. (He had 17 points and seven assists Wednesday versus. Detroit.)

Once they lost Johnson, they settled on Greivis Vasquez. But the 29-year-old’s surgically-repaired ankle didn’t hold up, and they ended up having to buy him out after just three appearances, using the $500,000 saved on D-League call-up Ferrell.

Without any other option, it’s forced backup off-guard Kilpatrick to try and learn a new position on the fly, and kept Whitehead and Ferrell — the former drafted in the second round, and the latter not at all — from getting the time to develop in the D-League they clearly need.

Lin hasn’t started since Nov. 2, and the Nets won’t give an estimated return date. But they surely will be thankful when it comes.