Loaded with one-liners and self-deprecating remarks from his up-and-down tenure as the coach of the Houston Rockets, Celtics great Kevin McHale returns to his well-suited role as a television analyst this season.

McHale was hardly treated fairly in Houston. He was fired by general manager Daryl Morey 11 games into the 2015-16 season, after reaching the Western Conference finals the previous season.

It’s heartening to see the lovable big guy back in TV, offering his astute opinions on the game.

The Rockets finished last season with interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who led the club to the first round of the Western Conference playoffs before it lost to the Warriors in five games. He was removed and replaced by journeyman coach Mike D’Antoni, who said he will use the mercurial James Harden at point guard.

McHale has made it clear over the past several months that defense was the issue in Houston and he got stuck in the middle of the sticky relationship between Harden and Dwight Howard. The Rockets were a chemistry nightmare last season.

“Did I learn a few things in Houston? Absolutely,’’ McHale said last week. “It’s more of a constant battle getting the guys on the team to put the team first. They can stray very, very quickly into individual first, team second. And that just never works and so you’ve got to constantly pull them back to team first and stress that message. That’s more of a challenge for all coaches in the NBA.

“Would I ever coach again? It would have to be the right situation. You never say never. But I’ll tell you what, there are some spots that you think, ‘Wow, that would really be fun to coach those group of guys.’ Those jobs aren’t available very often.’’

McHale offered his thoughts on the new-look Rockets, who added Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, and Nene Hilario, and slid in Clint Capela to replace Howard at center.

“I think they’re going to score the ball,’’ McHale said. “Adding Anderson and adding Gordon is going to help them with 3-point shooting. As always with that team it’s going to be, are they able to defend enough? They’ll score plenty. Are they going to be dedicated enough on the defensive end?

“Luckily you have [Trevor] Ariza, Pat Beverley. You have [Corey] Brewer, you have guys on that team that will defend and take a lot of pride and are really good teammates that come out and really support their team and really do put team first. That’s the big thing, can they get the blend of guys to put team first and defend at a level where they can win tight games.’’

There is also the issue of Harden, who did not make any of the All-NBA teams last season — after finishing second in the MVP race the year before — primarily because of his perceived selfishness and lack of leadership.

“James is a hell of a player, there is nothing that kid can’t do,’’ McHale said. “He can pass the ball. He can shoot the ball. He’s strong. He gets a lot of rebounds in traffic.

“He’s just got to be wired in to defense and understanding that he’s a big part of that team and he has to put the team first and go out there and play accordingly. It’s not always going to be your night. Things aren’t always going to go your way, but the mark of a great player is when he’s having a bad shooting night, he’s able to help his team.

“There are a lot of different tools in the tool box to help a team win games. It’s just not when the ball’s going in the hole. Red Auerbach always used to say when the ball’s going in the hole and you have 40, the guy in the last row in the arena knows you had a good game. Can you help your team win when the ball’s not going in the hole? That’s got to be James’s mantra, that he’s got to find a way.

“Taking it full circle to the best players in the league, I know that’s who he wants to be. LeBron James can win games when his shot is not going down. The elite of the elite can help their team in many ways.’’

McHale remains very close with the Celtics organization, and is close friends with president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. The two always will be linked for the Kevin Garnett trade in 2007. Knowing Ainge so well, McHale said his friend is desperately seeking one final piece.

“I think they’ll play really well,’’ McHale said. “[Al] Horford was a big pickup for them. I talk to Danny quite a bit and I think he’d like to get another star-type player. They have a lot of young guys. They have a lot of very, very good players. And I think they have a tremendous coach. Brad Stevens does a great job with them. They have a great chemistry and I think they have a great fight to them. They’ll win games in the 80s, they’ll win games in the 110s.

“Not to say they’re behind Cleveland, so is everybody else in the league, so I don’t think that’s surprise. The Celtics are a tough out. Do they probably need [another star]? The essence of the NBA game to me is very, very simple — you’ve got to be able to draw two [defenders]. And then you pass it and four of your offensive guys play against three of their guys. Who’s that guy on Boston that’s going to constantly draw that second defender? Isaiah Thomas had a great year but they probably need another guy like that. It’s hard to win playoff games if you don’t have that horse who’s demanding a player or two or three and giving space to other players.’’

Ainge has been itching to make a deal, and McHale said he’s been rather surprised by his patience. Ainge has allowed the team’s rebuilding process to move forward without tinkering with a questionable trade that may backfire in the long run.

“It’s funny because Danny is going about it the right way, he’s not panicking. He’s not going to make a deal just to do something,’’ McHale said. “He’s got a lot of assets. Believe me, that’s just the opposite [of him]. Danny is one of the most impulsive people I know and I’m just shocked he doesn’t make a trade every week. He’s really a disciplined general manager, which is funny because he’s a very undisciplined person. He’s one of my best friends.

“He runs deals by me. If he doesn’t get exactly what he wants, he’s not doing it, so I think he likes his team well enough. He loves Brad. I just think he’s waiting. I think he knows he’s got to get another really special-type player. He was all-in for Kevin Durant. He’ll get [that superstar]. Eventually Danny will land that.’’

RECLAMATION PROJECT

Hornets, Hibbert could be a match

The Hornets are the latest team to take a chance on center Roy Hibbert, who played with the Lakers last season after spending the first seven years of his career with the Pacers. A two-time All-Star with the Pacers, Hibbert was partly blamed for their playoff failures against the Heat, most notably 2013-14, when he averaged just 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 28 minutes as Indiana lost in the Eastern Conference finals.

Last season with the Lakers, Hibbert averaged a career-low 5.9 points, plus 4.9 rebounds, his fewest since his rookie season.

Looking for a fresh start, Hibbert signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Hornets to essentially replace Al Jefferson, who coincidentally signed with Indiana.

The 7-foot-2-inch, 270-pound Hibbert has averaged 5.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in limited minutes this preseason, impressing his new coach.

“First of all, he can play at a quicker pace than I realized,’’ Steve Clifford said. “Really going back to looking at him at Indiana when he was an All-Star and you watch the Miami series [in 2013] where the Heat were playing smaller a lot with Chris Bosh at the center and you look at his impact in those games, he was terrific.’’

Hibbert was blamed in Indiana for clogging an up-tempo offense, but Clifford views him as more of an offensive asset that he expected.

“He’s a much better offensive player than I thought. He’s obviously not the back-to-the-basket threat that Al [Jefferson] was but he’s a very good passer and a terrific decision maker. He can play at the elbow. You can play through him in the post and he almost plays as someone who wants to pass more than he does score. But when you have big guys who can play like that, you can run offense through them.’’

The Hornets may lean on Hibbert early in the season because center Cody Zeller (right knee) has just recently been cleared to practice. Hibbert is the lone true center on Charlotte’s roster.

ETC.

A healthy Embiid may elevate 76ers

Joel Embiid has played no more than 14 minutes in each of his five preseason appearances, but he has scored in double figures in each of the last three, reaching the free throw line eight times in each of the last two.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens offered a hint to the respect Embiid already has garnered by sending double teams at the 76ers big man in his first season. Embiid is skilled in the post and can shoot well from the perimeter, giving the Sixers the opportunity to spread the floor.

Along with Jahlil Okafor, Embiid could make the 76ers respectable quickly because of his versatility.

“You saw something I think the league is going to do to him, in commanding a double team,’’ 76ers coach Brett Brown said. “If he’s a player that commands a double team, the rest of the team can reap the benefits of that as long as we’re spaced. Because of his height, he is going to be able to get off jump shots any time he wants. We want to encourage more post-ups, more getting to the rim, more getting to the line, and that balance of inside-outside ability needs to be complemented with traditional post play.’’

Embiid has missed two years because of surgeries on his right foot, and the 76ers understandably have been limiting his playing time. But this preseason has allowed the University of Kansas product to rediscover himself. There is renewed excitement in Philadelphia because it appears Embiid is further along than expected.

“I feel like I’m more athletic. I have been working on all this stuff,’’ he said. “My shot has been better. I feel like my offensive game has gotten better. I feel like I am a better player than I was in college.’’

Embiid didn’t expect to face such stringent defense so soon.

“That kind of messed me up when they started double teaming,’’ he said. “That was my first game. So you’re going to double team, first game, second quarter? That’s something I am going to learn from. At the beginning I was pretty nervous, I think I had trouble breathing. But once I got the first bucket, everything kind of slowed down. I just felt like I was myself again.’’

Early numbers show that Embiid will be a decent rim protector and rebounder. He nabbed 12 boards Oct. 13 against the Wizards and is moving well despite the surgeries.

“Offensively they want me to be physical, and that’s why I think I can use my power, use my finesse,’’ he said. “I weigh 275, and I’ve been working on my body and that’s what they want me to do, be a physical presence.’’

Okafor is expected to return from meniscus surgery by November, giving the 76ers a trio of big men — along with Everett native Nerlens Noel. And with some seasoned veterans, they should be more competitive. The playoffs are far out of reach, but 20-plus wins is a realistic goal.

“We’re still pretty young but I think we’re going to go [difficult to play] every day,’’ Embiid said. “When [Okafor] comes back we’ve got a lot of good players and we need to play together. Once I’m off restrictions and I’m ready to go our ceiling is really high.

“I would say the excitement around the team and the fans have been great. We’ve got a lot of good players. Dario [Saric] started his first game. We’ve got new rookies, too. As a team, we felt great, and for me, I was just excited.’’

Saric looks as if he’s capable of contributing after staying overseas for two years. In an up-and-down Olympic experience, Saric led Croatia to the knockout round. He brings a certain polish and toughness to the 76ers.

“He’s just old-school solid and I think he’s a really appropriate complement to Joel in the way that he plays,’’ Brown said. “I feel like I’m just so paranoid about how much I play him. I have to be really conscientious about how much I play him. I think there’s just a vocabulary thing that goes on, a familiarity with teammates thing that goes on. As far as just playing basketball, I really feel like he has a high intellect. It’s the other things, the nuances. That’s where his growth will be.

“I had a chance to coach a lot of foreign players in my day and that’s a natural transition that all of them make.’’

Layups

The Lakers have difficult roster decisions ahead with 17 capable players and 15 spots. On the bubble is veteran Metta World Peace and rugged rebounder Thomas Robinson. If the Lakers decide to keep one or both, they will likely have to waive a former draft pick. The team is a little point-guard heavy with D’Angelo Russell, Jose Calderon, Jordan Clarkson, and Marcelo Huertas. Huertas is considered a keeper. Like the Celtics, the Lakers have padded their roster with draft picks, and like the Celtics they will have to make some difficult decisions between established veterans and emerging youngsters. The Lakers already have waived former Notre Dame standout and Cambridge native Zach Auguste, who is likely heading for their NBADL affiliate . . . The Magic made their Oct. 12 game against the Spurs available to fans on Facebook. Those that lived within a 75-mile radius of Orlando’s Amway Center were able to watch the game online, and the team’s website streamed the Oct. 14 game against Indiana and will stream the Oct. 20 game against New Orleans. With some NFL games being available on Twitter, the NBA is likely to explore placing more of its games online. The Clippers re-upped with Fox Sports’ Prime Ticket, but if they hadn’t agreed to a deal, owner Steve Ballmer said the Clippers likely would have streamed their games online. The NBA offers games online for League Pass subscribers, but no single team streams its games to local customers . . . The Jazz waived ex-Northeastern standout Quincy Ford, a 6-foot-8-inch, 225-pound swingman who signed in the summer. Ford may be headed to NBADL Salt Lake City. Former Celtic Chris Johnson, who has worked hard to cement an NBA roster spot, could be in jeopardy of losing his job with the Jazz acquiring Joe Johnson and liking second-round pick Joel Bolomboy from Weber State. The Jazz are loaded with small forwards, perhaps making Chris Johnson expendable.

The Grizzlies waived former first-round pick Tony Wroten, an indication that he has not fully recovered from a torn right ACL sustained 21 months ago. Wroten was once considered a potential contributor in Memphis and Philadelphia but is looking for work at age 23.

Gary Washburn can be reached at gwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @GwashburnGlobe. Material from interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.