The Houston Rockets finished last season as the second best team in the Western Conference after losing to the Golden State Warriors in the WCF.

This season, they are expected to make major strides not only because they retained the core responsible for the deep run last season, but they added a borderline All-Star in former Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson.

However, their current standing does not reflect the team that they were last season. They continue to struggle and fail to meet expectations.

Once again, they blow up a huge lead as they lost to the Boston Celtics, 111-95. Head coach Kevin McHale believes his team is giving their full effort, but things just didn't went their way tonight.

"At times, I wouldn't say full effort all the time, no," he said via NBA.com. "Things aren't going our way and we hang our head. We haven't put together really good basketball all year long."

Is it the coaching staff? Are the players lacking effort on defense? Head coach Kevin McHale said that he has been talking to everyone with regards to playing defense, but probably a bit too much.

"We've had a lot of heart-to-hearts. As a matter of fact, we talk too much," McHale said via Bleacher Report. "Talking doesn't win basketball games. I've never seen talking win anything unless you are talking on defense about what coverages you are in, how you're going to help the guy, where the help is. The rest of the stuff doesn't work. If you're talking, you're not playing."

hatever is troubling them, they need to figure it out soon or GM Daryl Morey might be forced to make a move sooner or later.