THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Feb. 19, 2014

I get it, all-star games are supposed to be a showcase of players and their abilities.

But Sunday's version in the NBA left a lot to be desired.

WHILE YOU can't argue with the amount of offense that night, the teams combined for 318 points in the Eastern Conference's 163-155 win against the Western Conference, but isn't defense another priority in the NBA?

Between wide-open 3-pointers and countless slam dunks, the game seemed more like a scrimmage than two teams trying to win a basketball game.

Earlier this year, with the NFL facing similar critics about how that game was no longer interesting, the game was actually a lot more competitive with the league tweaking how the rosters are made up.

The league put all those players selected into a draft, where former players Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice made selections to make up the rosters.

Maybe it is time for the NBA to follow their lead.

As a kid, the NBA All-Star Game used to be interesting.

Watching Michael Jordan go up against Magic Johnson and company was fun to watch, because you knew at some point, somebody on one of those teams was going to put forth an effort near the end of the game to get a win.

Now, it almost seems like whichever player has the ball with 20 seconds to go is going to try and get an endorsement deal over making sure his team wins the game.

The league has at least tried with the events on Saturday by making things more interesting with the slam dunk competition and other skills events.

But unless guys like LeBron James or Dwight Howard get involved, then whoever else they can find won't quite fit the bill.

IN THE coming weeks, some of the local high school boys and girls basketball players will get a shot at their all-star moment when North Idaho College hosts its annual statewide all-state games on March 15, followed by the District 1 all-star games in Mullan on March 20.

Rosters for those games will be announced in a few weeks.

Those games, while not quite as packed with the kind of household names that the NBA or NFL has, may be a lot more interesting to watch.

With the NIC game, chances are you'll hear a few of those names for years to come as members of the NIC men's or women's basketball team, or playing somewhere else down the road.

They might not be stars yet, but chances are you won't have to worry about anyone not trying in those games.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 64-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.