Being connected to the original games is about a holistic connectivity to them across the board. SImply throwing in a few characters from the old games does NOT achieve what people are talking about when they complain about a lack of connection with the old games.
The actual city of Baldur's Gate is a pretty strong connection, imo. I hadn't realized how faithfully it's been recreated until I saw a video breaking down the trailer. I've never finished BG1 or tried BG2, so I've never experienced the namesake city. If Larian can do it justice (which it looks like they could) it would be more than a cosmetic connection between the games.
