*late game, as you mentioned yourself
Locusts are far more important early game than late game since late game (lvl 20 for example):
- forts should be long dead
- importance of minion xp drops significantly
Additionally, shoving the lane doesnt really work in Abas favor since it makes it more difficult for him to soak. Freezing the lane closer to his side of the map simply makes his life easier.
If locusts are more useful early game when important and “weaker” late game when they become less important or even borderline irrelevant, thats totally fine for me. Dont forget he gets 40% damage boost at lvl 1. Their duration is not really that important since some people react to summons. Similar to Azmodan rework - they give more value in shorter period of time, what is important for higher leagues.
Locusts are a joke since range nerf and will probably continue to be, but oh well.
EDIT - that extra damage early on also increases the chance of landing “killing blow” by locusts.