Through 10 games, the Houston Rockets are essentially what we thought they were.

Experienced... and youthful.

Formidable... and imperfect.

The Western Conference, however, may be a little better than many thought it was. Prior to the season, there was considerable conversation about how the balance of power had finally shifted East, following about a quarter-century of more robust rosters out West. That transformation hasn't really taken hold through this first segment of the season. Entering Monday's play, there were 10 teams in the West with .600 or better winning percentages, compared to just four in the East.

As a result, even with their strong start, the Rockets are tied for 5th in the conference with the surprising Golden State Warriors (and Kevin Durant's old chum Stephen Curry) and trailing two teams (the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves) that have shown resilience after three All-Stars between them (Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Anthony Edwards) exited with long-term injuries.

Houston, meanwhile, has seen three of its core starters (Durant, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson) play in all 10 games. And even Fred VanVleet, getting back in rhythm after missing a full season due to a knee injury, has played eight.

So should the record be even better?

Well, the Rockets do have wins against the Celtics, Thunder and Spurs, so they've proven they can play with just about anyone -- but they also found a way to fall way behind the so-so Suns this week before a furious rally fell short.

So there still room for growth.

Here are some of the flashpoints so far:

1. Biggest Positive: Balance

Durant recently said that he considers Sengun his equal now, and that's encouraging on several fronts. Ime Udoka has been trying to cut Durant's minutes and workload to preserve the future Hall of Fame forward for the postseason, which naturally generated some pushback from the star himself -- but on the court, at least, Durant is stepping aside just enough. He would only do so, it would seem, if he really did think Sengun and the other younger veterans were ready for those expanded roles. The Rockets have four players (those two, plus Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr.) averaging between 11.8 and 15.6 shots per night, and they're all shooting 51 percent. Yes, all of them. That variety will make the Rockets more difficult to scout and defend as the season progresses, and will get everyone ready for the minutes that matter in May and ideally June.

2. Biggest Concern: Center Depth

This seemed to be a strength on paper, with the Rockets supplementing Sengun with two proven veterans who still offer a little something, maybe more in the case of Steven Adams than Clint Capela. But Adams continues to break down physically, and he has no timetable for his return after a calf injury. And Capela is missing time with an ankle issue. The Rockets have enough length to guard up in some cases, but rebounding is one of the team's overall strengths, and they need at least one healthy backup big to sustain that.

3. Worth Watching: Defensive Slippage

It's not a crisis, yet. The Rockets are still 10th in the NBA in defensive rating, and they have the personnel (starting with Thompson) to rise back up. But there's been a little leaking of late. The Rockets have been exceptional in defending the three-point arc (2nd in the NBA at 31.6%), but are giving up too many easy ones in the paint, which is why they're just 16th in overall field goal percentage defense. They don't have a lot of rim protection, so the key is keeping drivers out.