Ok no worries, it was quite a while ago that the article came out (I think around some of the early Snowden leaks). It that claimed that the NSA used a 3 hop rule to establish a 'targets' network. They claimed to only use 3 hops to protect the privacy and constitutional rights of US citizens ie 'this is not mass surveillance guys, we promise'. (paraphrasing from memory of course)

To the authors point, 2 hops could just about be anyone.

To your point, 2 hops could be a very tenuous link.

If you put both points together you get effectively mass surveillance of just about anyone whilst still claiming to be on the right side of the law.