Azir Q Range/Ability Discussion

Hey everybody, So I am a supp main and in no means an Azir master or main. I just played a custom with a friend who played Brand. One of the things I noticed as Azir was his q is way too short. In order to use his q effectively, he needs longer range. Brand has almost average aa range and plenty of range on abilities, as do most mid laners. In the early game it was too high of a risk to send in a w-q because he would just poop on me. I feel like this is a high risk- low reward ability, especially in the upper elos. I feel like this should be changed. Please use this to discuss what changes can be made to make azir have a better early game. Maybe make him more tankier? or Increase the range? I feel like this is a low reward champion, even if mastered. Please do not judge. Love this community and Fair days, ShieldWriter06