It has become almost an annual ritual. Every offseason, fans will get hyped as New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williams shows off his improved physique. Then a video of him dunking will go viral. But when the season rolls around, Williamson will get sidelined by a major injury.

Williamson once again displayed a skinnier frame this offseason, signaling that he continues to work on his conditioning to stay longer on the court. By the looks of it, this could finally be the year for the rim-rattling forward.

The Pelicans flew to Australia for a pair of preseason games against Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix at Rod Laver Arena. During their open practice, the 25-year-old Williamson wowed the crowd with a 360 slam that looked so effortless for him.

Last season, he was limited to just 30 games. While he was healthy to begin the campaign, he strained his hamstring in November, forcing him to miss 27 games. In March, he sustained a bone contusion in his lower back, which ruled him out for the season.

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He averaged 24.6 points and career-highs of 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals.

There were high hopes for Williamson when the Pelicans drafted him as the No. 1 overall pick in 2019. He was easily tagged as the savior of the franchise after a dominant run at Duke. He, however, has yet to live up to his full potential due to constant injuries. He has only appeared in 214 games in five seasons with the Pelicans.

If he can stay healthy in the upcoming campaign, New Orleans could be a dark horse in the Western Conference. Aside from Williamson, the team will lean on Trey Murphy III, Jordan Poole, Yves Missi, and Herb Jones. Dejounte Murray is also expected to return from his Achilles injury.

The Pelicans will face Melbourne United on Thursday and South East Melbourne Phoenix on Saturday.