The Phoenix Suns have had a whale of a time competing with the Denver Nuggets this season.

Following a 125-123 loss against Denver Tuesday, March 24 — a game the Suns had a chance at winning if a last-second 3-point look from Devin Booker found nylon — Phoenix drops to 0-3 on the season against the Western Conference foe.

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic remains the biggest (literally and figuratively) reason Phoenix has struggled to compete with the Nuggets. In an effort that looked effortless, Jokic finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists in the win, and seemed frustrated postgame that the game ended as close as it did with Denver squandering various leads.

In those three wins against Phoenix, Jokic is now averaging 21 points, 14 assists and 13.3 rebounds per game. Also, as noted on the NBC broadcast of the game, Jokic is the only player ever to post a 30-20-20 triple-double when he did so against the Suns last season. He’s made light work of exposing one of the Suns’ biggest roster flaws: a lack of size and interior defense.

Nikola Jokic continued to expose big Suns roster flaw

Now, to be fair, Jokic is a three-time MVP and one of the best players in the history of the sport of basketball. It’s not exactly a blemish on your record when Jokic puts in a good performance against you.

That being said, Jokic averages a hearty triple-double against Phoenix and follows a pattern of fellow talented bigs having their way with the Suns when the matchup tips off.

Ivica Zubac, the former Los Angeles Clippers center who was traded to the Indiana Pacers earlier this season, averages 14.8 points and 11.4 rebounds across five games against the Suns this season while converting a video game-esque 71.4% of his field goals.

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers put up 33 points and nine rebounds in his one matchup against the Suns.

And while the Suns have held San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama to just 42.9% shooting from the field across three games, the “Alien” is still averaging 20 points and 10.7 rebounds in his matchups against Phoenix.

In his sophomore NBA campaign, Oso Ighodaro has been a standout interior defender for the Suns. Opponents’ offensive rating of 112.4 when Ighodaro plays is much less impressive than the 116.1 mark when he sits.

It’s a similar look for 19-year-old rookie Khaman Maluach. Opponents have an offensive rating of 109.7 when he plays, which balloons to 114.8 when he’s not out there — but those figures are a bit muddied by the fact that a lot of Maluach’s minutes have come in garbage time this season.

The interior defense of Mark Williams, who’s currently sidelined with injury, leaves a lot to be desired by comparison. In fact, it’s among the reasons why the Suns may opt not to re-sign the 24-year-old center this coming offseason.

So, while the Suns have solid options to defend the interior in Ighodaro and Maluach, the combined NBA experience from those guys simply isn’t enough to compete with the best bigs in the league just yet.

Add in the fact that the roster outside of the center position is very undersized with Dillon Brooks and Royce O’Neale often manning the power forward spot, it’s no mystery why opposing big men like Jokic, Embiid, Zubac and others are able to exploit matchups through switches off screens and post-ups when Phoenix’s defense gets discombobulated.

The Suns are still in good standing to make the playoffs at season’s end, but the matchup problems certain centers pose for them remains an issue with no quick fix.