Which NBA player does GOAT’s Will Harris play like?

When Will Harris — played by Caleb McLaughlin — steps on a Roarball court, the biggest criticism about him is his height. He’s the equivalent of a basketball point guard, which the film describes as a “small”. In fact, Will is the first small to ever be signed to a team in the league, which he receives a fair amount of ridicule for.

Hence the irony of billy goats playing this fictionalized version of basketball, that “goats” can’t play despite the highest achievement in basketball being becoming a “GOAT” (short for greatest of all time).

As the smallest player on the court, Will has natural speed to compensate for the lack of space-occupation a taller, stronger, and wider framed player would have. With his remarkable quickness, Will’s main matchup advantages come from protective and crafty ball handling. He likes to draw space through quick dribble packages while not turning it over, and his first time playing basketball within the movie is against Main Attraction — voiced by Aaron Pierre, who does an amazing job — an MVP-level player who came down to play local street ball.

Will takes a 2–0 lead by protecting the ball while launching dribble counters to draw space, which he utilizes to get some a few shots off. In one of these dribble animations, he breaks Main’s ankles, which ends up going viral.

Main classifies Will as an “outside shooter”, and he figures out that it’s all he can really do. Will can’t play the interior, which Main ends up dominating him in for a loud 3–2 victory.

When Will gets to the league, the main talking point was always his inability to play in the interior, which he gets warned that he will be “killed” in. His coach, Dennis Cooper, makes it clear during a film study session that Will is best utilized on-ball as a ball handler and a contested shooter, and he doesn’t actually need to get past his man.

This archetype of shorter, but quick and bursty mid-range operating guard best fits the profile of Indiana Pacers player TJ McConnell.

Both players are undersized, as TJ stands at about 6’1. Will, according to the Roar League’s official website (yes, this exists), is 5'7. TJ relies on his lightning-quick speed to throw defenders off due to his lack of post counters or strength-based space generation, i.e. moves like stiff arms or push-offs into fadeaways.

McConnell’s signature move is a quick crossover, before immediately launching a pull-up mid range shot. It’s high arching with a high release point that seems to always go in regardless of the difficult contests he faces. It is pretty much Will. Sorry to say, Will wasn’t modeled after a higher profile star player, but that’s part of the point the story wants to make.

The star of the team is Jett Fillmore — voiced by Gabrielle Union — the aging star gunning for a championship. Will, despite the media’s push to make him a star for headlines and bait, doesn’t look at it as his team over Jett’s. He just wants to contribute to winning, which he does through motivating teammates, remembering plays, moving to the right open spots on the court, and making the right connective pass. He might not ever even make an All-Star or All-Defensive team, but he’s the guy you can rely on for key timely plays that push the small margins towards winning.

Like Will, McConnell is definitely one of the more “quiet winning” guys in the league. McConnell was a huge factor in the Indiana Pacers’ unexpected appearance in last season’s NBA Finals. After a 2024–25 regular season in which many NBA fans felt he regressed or stagnated, he led the bench unit averaging 9.5 points and 4 assists on an absurd 54% field goal percentage. Paired with his shot-generation, he only averaged 1.9 turnovers despite having the ball so much, being one of the most protective ball handlers in the post-season.

His production led the Pacers’ bench to a third-best playoff offensive rating at 54. Additionally, they ranked third in points per game at 37.3, which was only 0.1 points away from being first.

McConnell was the main offensive engine in star guard Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 7 absence with injury. He kept the game close by playing like Will Harris, launching those quick contested middies. By halftime, the game was close at a score of 48–47, in Indiana’s favor. In the third quarter, TJ blazed the Thunder for 12 points on 6 for 7 shooting. OKC pulled away with the victory and the championship in the second half, but that doesn’t take away from TJ’s performance.

And despite being small — and a billy goat — Will Harris’ size doesn’t take away from his basketball skills. He might not be the posterizing flashy player that ends up in the viral highlight reels, but he makes his impact felt through his speed and intelligence. Will might not average the most points or assists, but like McConnell, his impact on winning is undeniable.