Who are the Rockets?

So far in the season, the Rockets have beat many teams I would have thought they would have lost to, like the Lakers, Bulls, Knicks, and Celtics. Even in some of the games that they have lost against teams like this, the result is fairly close and the game could have gone either way (like Rockets vs. Miami [110-113]). The Knicks and Celtics have been blown out by the Rockets (Knicks twice), and even ugly wins are still wins, like their win against the Bulls.

For example:

@ Atlanta (109-102)
vs. Chicago (93-89)
vs. New York (131-103)
vs. Los Angeles (107-105)
vs. Boston (101-89)
vs. New York (109-96)

However, on the other hand they have lost some games I thought they should have won. Against Portland, the game was neck and neck until the Rockets collapsed in the overtime period. Even in some games they won against poor teams, they were struggling until somebody, whether it is Harden, Parsons, Lin, or even Asik steps up and "saves" them. One example of this is the game against the Hornets. The final score was 100-96, and the Hornets made a huge comeback in the second half. In most of their losses, the game could have been won save a few costly turnovers or missed shots.

For example:

vs. Portland (85-95)
vs. Denver (87-93)
vs. Miami (110-113)
vs. Portland (117-119)
vs. San Antonio (126-134)
vs. Toronto (96-103)

Although, keep in mind that many of the examples are against formidable opponents. The point that I am trying to convey is that the Rockets could have won, not that the other teams are bad.

The Rockets seem to have a knack for winning games that they shouldn't and losing games that they should win. Are they an underrated team that pulls surprises and can be the dark horse in playoff races? Or are they a team that falls to poorer teams due to fatigue, overconfidence, etc.?

They also don't have a good defense, which could have resulted in more games won if this wasn't a factor.

With no consistent shooting star (except Harden) on whom the offense can rely, the Rockets need an improved defense that will have to set up fast-break opportunities.

Playmaking
The Rockets should be a good passing team, with Jeremy Lin showing more of a feel for playmaking than he had last season, especially on the break. The frontcourt passing has been surprisingly strong. Despite Omer Asik’s limitations as a scorer, he has been an effective passer, while Chandler Parsons has been the sort of ball mover he had been at Florida. Scott Machado
has shown his skills as a playmaker, especially on the break.

Rebounding
Omer Asik should be among the league leaders, but the Rockets have not given him enough help on the boards and have shown little on the offensive glass to make up for the offensive deficiencies. Perimeter players will have to help rebound, which is not a strength, especially in the backcourt. The Rockets could also be exposed on the boards off the bench, where they will have to rely heavily on rookies.

Defense
The defense has a chance to be markedly improved with Omer Asik to patrol the lane. He and Patrick Patterson are excellent defensive players against pick-and-rolls, job one of any NBA defense. The challenge for the Rockets will be to be up-tempo offensively and stingy defensively, usually a tough combination. The defense could be much like the offense, solid overall but weaker in one-on-one situations.

In other words, who are the Rockets?