As NC State struggles from the perimeter, its offense remains a liability

Monday night was the latest chapter in a string of below-average performances by NC State offensively, and we’re at a point where it’s fair to wonder if what we’ve seen this month is less a slump and more just an accurate picture of this team’s capabilities.

If it’s the latter, well, that ain’t good. It’s highly unlikely that NC State can position itself to make the NCAA tournament without having a good offense leading that charge because its defense will remain below average.

Looking just at league play, NC State ranks seventh in offensive efficiency, averaging a smidge more than a point per possession. The Wolfpack is 11th in effective field goal percentage, seventh in 2FG%, and 11th in 3FG%. State has made only 26.4% of its threes since Jan. 1.

Maybe I should have seen this coming—NC State last season also struggled with shooting in league play, finishing 10th in eFG%. But that group had the fifth-best offense thanks to its league-leading offensive rebounding, and State is 10th in that category this year.

If there is a reason for optimism, it’s that State should start shooting the ball better from outside, because even considering this group’s limitations, they’re better than 26%. They’ve made six threes or fewer in four straight games, hitting less than a quarter of their attempts in three of those. Surely this sort of non-existent production can’t last, right?