“For the guys sometimes coming from a strong nation like Spain, it’s tougher,” said Tomas Satoransky, a Czech who spent seven years playing in Spain before joining the Washington Wizards and now starts for the Chicago Bulls. “I think that was a big issue, a big barrier for Juan Carlos to be successful.” Of course, he also had a choice of cities in which to play — Memphis or Barcelona. “He was in Memphis. He could stay in Barcelona,” Satoransky said. “That was an easier choice. It’s tougher for them to adapt.”