Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker now a superstar, but what will it take to stay there?

All-NBA first team. NBA2K cover.

ESPN’s Top 10. Supermax.

Kendall Jenner. Hitting shots at a Jack Harlow concert.

The league’s best shooting guard as voted by its general managers.

Devin Booker has reached superstar status, but his primary focus remains on winning and leading the Phoenix Suns.

“I just go out there and try to compete at the highest level at all times," Booker said. "Just try to have a domino effect all the way down throughout our team.”

The Suns fell short of returning to the finals after winning a franchise-record 64 games last season. Booker came up small in his first career Game 7 that ended in a 33-point loss to Dallas.

Scoring just 11 points, Booker committed four turnovers and had the worst plus/minus of any player that night at minus-41. He'll start his eighth season Oct. 19 against the Mavericks in a rematch of last year's Western Conference semifinals.

“We’re only going to go as far as he’s able to lead us,” Suns General Manager James Jones said.

Booker is no longer that 18-year-old Phoenix took 13th overall in 2015 out of Kentucky.

He’s an NBA superstar who bounces the ball through the Footprint Center hallways with a smile like a kid who instantly fell in love with that sound.

“Year eight, man,” Booker said. “I’m excited. It’s time to get to it. I don’t take any of these years for granted. I love playing this sport. I love my job and I have the most fun with it.”

Booker is more than just a scorer, but that’s what makes him special. He averaged a career-high 26.8 points last season, shooting 38.3% from 3.

Teams try to deny Booker the ball because they know what happens when he gets it.

Footwork. Elevation. Pull up

Midrange. 3-ball. At the rim.

When Booker struggles, even in a preseason game, that's cause for celebration for the opponent.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone praised Bruce Brown for his play against Booker, who shot 5-of-17 Monday night.

“He won our first defensive player of the game award," Malone said. "His defense on Devin Booker was outstanding."

That's the ultimate sign of respect.

FYI: The Suns return to Denver Christmas Day.

Booker arrived in Phoenix driven to become a premier player in the city that embraced him Day 1.

“That was one of his goals years ago," Jones said. "He committed to improving and he committed to being here. To being all-in here.”

Earning All-NBA first team made Booker supermax eligible.

The Suns signed him to a four-year, $224-million deal the first day of free agency this summer, a contract that begins after his rookie extension ends in 2024.

“He wanted to do it early to send a signal that he wants to be here,” Jones said.

The supermax alone raises expectations, but even Booker has fun with it.

Suns coach Monty Williams said he’ll draw up a play for someone else that leads to Booker giving a funny, yet candid response.

“Expensive decoy, Coach,” Williams said laughing.

Booker will always get buckets, but that alone isn't enough to remain a superstar.

"When you talk about the great ones, they always train physically and mentally," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "They understand the load that they're going to have to carry. There's a target every night. So there are no nights off. They have to play their 'A' game."

Booker puts in the offseason work for that grind of facing everyone's best.

"When you look at Book, he's at that level," Kidd continued. "He's consistent. Great ones are always looking to be consistent and play at a high level."

Winning will help Booker maintain that status.

“We got to hide a lot of our flaws in a lot of our regular season wins," Booker said. "Some of that comes to light in the postseason. Just continue to get better every day.

Next, keep improving defensively.

Booker was once viewed as all offense.

Not anymore.

“He has improved as an overall player,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “That mean playing on both ends, which he does. He has improved by using his abilities with more focus and commitment. He’s a good on-ball defender and a good team defender.”

In that same preseason game at Denver, Booker stole the ball from Michael Porter Jr., and took it the other way for the dunk.

“Defensively, he’s a problem,” Suns big Jock Landale said.

Lastly, Booker finding teammates and them delivering will further stamp his superstar passport.

“A lot of people look at him and think he just takes a lot of shots and scores a lot of points, but I think his playmaking skills are very underrated," Suns wing Torrey Craig said. "Just reading the defense, making the right pass, taking the right shots.”

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

Support local journalism. Start your online subscription.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker now a superstar; how does he stay there?