Bay Area Buzz 11/1: Mark Jackson Has Kobe Regrets; What Is That Thing?;Don’t Rush Aldon Smith

Oct 31, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.Clippers won 125-115. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Mark Jackson Would Have Done It Differently With Kobe Bryant Hurt

"After more than 150 games as a head coach in NBA, the Warriors’ Mark Jackson has just one regret.“If I would have known that Kobe Bryant was hurt, I would have called a timeout,” Jackson said before the Warriors opened their season Wednesday night against the Lakers, about six months after Bryant sustained an Achilles injury against the Warriors. “They would not have had to commit a foul. That’s how much respect I have for him and how much I appreciate him as a competitor.“Even in the midst of going against him, I’m in the huddle going, ‘Don’t fall for the okey-doke. He’s all right. Don’t allow him to take over this game.’ I didn’t know he was really hurt. If I had to do it again, I would have called a timeout and allowed him to walk off of the floor.”"

— Rusty Simmons, SFGate.com

Google Barge Remains A Mystery, Could It Be A Traveling Arena?

"The mystery of the Google barge continues.Docked in the middle of the bay at Treasure Island, the huge vessel sits massively inert and seemingly unproductive.You know, sort of like an aquatic Pablo Sandoval.What’s inside the barge? Google isn’t saying. The Coast Guard is mum. Not even the NSA knows.However, I have several theories about what’s really up, at least from the sports perspective. Let me list them, in no particular order:·  The four-story-tall barge will become the Warriors’ new arena, the GoogleBarn, then floated over to the San Francisco waterfront. It’s a clever way for the team to save money. I mean, did you see the latest? The cost for simply renovating Piers 30-32, the proposed arena site, is now up to $170 million. And that’s before a dime is spent on the arena itself. Environmental foes are also lining up. I stick with my original prediction: The Warriors may get a new San Francisco arena by 2017, but it won’t be at Piers 30-32 — or they may get a new arena at Piers 30-32, but it won’t be by 2017."

— Mark Purdy, San Jose Mercury News

It Would Be A Mistake To Rush Aldon Smith Back

"The 49ers activated Aldon Smith on Thursday, moving him off the non-football illness list and onto the 53-man roster.And now comes the tricky part.The 49ers were safe from themselves and questionable decision-making in terms of Smith for the past five weeks, while Smith was in inpatient substance-abuse rehabilitation. But now that he’s out and back in the 49ers’ care, the real pressure starts.The 49ers are eager to thrust him back into the same high-pressure, high-pain, big-money, hyper-competitive atmosphere he couldn’t handle before. The NFL doesn’t offer any other type of atmosphere.Smith’s problem isn’t an ankle that can be bolstered with a good tape job or a sore muscle that can be eased with a painkiller. His is a mental, emotional, psychological issue that isn’t so obvious or so easily healed, even if the prescribed 30-day rehab period is up. No one knows how he’s going to respond.The last time the 49ers had to make decisions about Smith, they were highly questionable ones. They allowed the troubled pass-rusher to practice just hours after being arrested for driving under the influence. They started him in a game two days later. Owner Jed York coarsely brought up Smith’s paycheck as one of the rationales for the decision. And then the 49ers sent Smith to rehab and were safe from themselves for 35 days.But now Smith is out. And the 49ers need to tread cautiously. They need to balance their desire to have Smith contribute to their playoff push with compassion for his situation and lots of input from experts. They should put football decisions on the back burner and proceed with human decisions."

–Ann Killion, SFGate.com

And finally, a little something extra from the world of Twitter—a little bit of humor involving the 49ers’ receiving situation. Is it wrong? Yes. Was it funny anyway? You be the judge.