Cavaliers rookie center DeSagana Diop, who missed the first two weeks of training camp due to a sore left foot, was cleared to begin doing light work on the court yesterday after a visit to the doctor.

Diop will participate in a shoot-around with the Cavs this morning in St. Louis, where the Cavs face the Clippers in a preseason game tonight.

It's looking more and more as if forward Tyrone Hill also is heading for the injured list. Cavs doctors re-evaluated Hill's bad back yesterday. He will visit a specialist today in Cleveland, and then, the Cavs' doctors will see him again tomorrow. ``I won't begin to look at him until next week,'' Cavs coach John Lucas said. Paxson said last week he didn't anticipate Hill being ready for the Oct. 30 regular-season opener if he can't practice by the end of this week.