Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young is garnering most of the attention during the team's playoff run, but John Collins is quietly proving why he's a max player in the NBA.

Collins has had something of a tumultuous season. He voiced displeasure at his lack of involvement in the team's offense early in the season, notably how everything seemed to run through Young.

The Hawks forward was also highly sought-after in the weeks leading up to the March trade deadline, though Atlanta always maintained what was thought to be a high asking price and never openly said it was ready to deal Collins. It might have been tempting, though, especially considering the former Wake Forest product is set to hit restricted free agency later this summer.

Collins' role seemed to change with the Hawks signing Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic in the offseason. The frontcourt and wing spots were very crowded, and it remained to be seen how Collins would fit into that mix. That role change–and Young's usage rate–bothered Collins early, but he has really settled into his own.

In fact, these playoffs have only gone to show Collins deserves a massive deal this summer.

Now, the playoff averages don't necessarily look all that impressive. Collins is averaging just 14.6 points per game during the playoffs, which is lower than his regular-season mark. Yet, the scoring average hardly defines the value Collins has provided.

For starters, the 23-year-old has been efficient. He is shooting over 56 percent from the field and nearly 37 percent from beyond the arc on 3.2 attempts per game. Additionally, he's been hounding the offensive glass for the Hawks. Collins is averaging 2.1 offensive rebounds per contest, hunting extra opportunities and filling space when shots go up.

Collins can space the floor or make explosive plays rolling to the rim. Case and point: the alley-oop off the glass on Wednesday night.

However, the most impressive element of Collins' game during this Hawks playoff run might be his defense. Collins isn't racking up steals or blocks, but he's been a deterrent around the rim and has guarded multiple positions. He has a positive defensive box plus-minus and 0.8 defensive win shares to go along with a 108 defensive rating and +16 net rating.

John Collins is not putting up the same kind of prolific playoff numbers as Trae Young. He might not be a Hawks playoff darling like Kevin Huerter. Yet, his play these past few weeks–plus past production and his tools as a stretch-4 guy–shows he is worth a max contract.