The Warriors' ship has been sailing turbulent seas the past two seasons, causing some players to become green and queasy. But George says he's ready to rip.

"I didn't come here just to sit on the bench," the 10-year NBA veteran said. "I came here to get in the rotation and help the team."

So right away we have a potential problem: If George winds up with a spot in the regular rotation, something will have gone wrong. It will mean that someone who figures in the future plans of the team will have been injured or doghoused by kennelmeister Don Nelson.

According to a secret memo circulated among Bay Area teams, this is the year of the youngster. Teams are finally getting the picture that if you can't be really good, at least give your fans hope for the future.

The Giants, after years of begging from their followers, have turned their present and future over to Pablo Sandoval, Nate Schierholtz, Eugenio Velez and other lads. There is trial-and-error, but it's going well so far.

The A's have turned their pitching staff over to kiddies, and they're taking a long look at a rookie shortstop. Fans are hopeful they've seen the end of the rent-a-geezer program.

With the Raiders, it's all on JaMarcus Russell, running back Darren McFadden and new receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The 49ers, well, their hot new kid is the coach, but they've got a kind of young-at-heart thing going.

In short: Youth is the way to go.

And that's the way the Warriors are going to have to go if they are to have any hope of sniffing the playoffs.

That's asking a lot of old coach Nelson. He tends to like young players a lot, to gush over them and praise them publicly, until they actually get into a game. Then they do something stupid, like make a mistake, and Nelson gives them a gold card good for doghouse in-and-out privileges.

Sometimes it's hard to fault Nelson. Last season, he banished Anthony Randolph to the end of the bench for vague (to the public) reasons having to do with attitude and practice habits.

Too harsh? Well, Randolph himself now admits he needed an attitude adjustment, and Nelson's tough love helped him mature.

But too often, young players are not given the luxury of working through and beyond mistakes.

That has to change this season.

Randolph, assuming he learned his lessons about professional behavior and attitude, has to be a starter next season, every night, until he proves all the experts wrong, including the ones who selected him to try out for the U.S. team.

Anthony Morrow, to a lesser extent, has to see regular playing time. There seems to be nothing wrong with his attitude, and he can shoot. The Warriors, as long as Nelson is coach, will rely heavily on the three-point shot, and Morrow is not only the team's best three-ball shooter, but he also has the potential to be the best in the NBA.

The other must-play kid is rookie Stephen Curry. This will be a tougher sell for Nelson, who, if history is our judge, will begin most conversations with Curry with, "Stephen, you bumbling, brain-dead boob."

Pray, Warriors fans, that Curry isn't as sensitive as he looks, that he has the skin of a rhino and the Jedi ability to translate Nelson's tact-free ranting into positive instruction.

If so, Curry has to be in the rotation from the beginning, and has to stay there even when he sucks lemons, which he will do at times, because he represents real hope.

If Curry is able to bring about 80 percent of his college game to the NBA, he and Randolph will soon move Monta Ellis to the No. 3 spot on the ladder of Most Important Warriors.

With Stephen Jackson still leading the team, and Kelenna Azubuike and Corey Maggette holding down the small forward spot, there just doesn't seem to be many minutes left for, say, Devean George.

It could turn out that Nelson, having reshaped the Warriors' front office to his liking, will be in a better mood this season. Maybe that will lessen the tension between him and some of the players, especially the young ones.

Nellie and the kids - could be a heartwarming story.

E-mail Scott Ostler at sostler@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle