Yes, the wisdom of the crowd is often about connecting with the right individual. One can argue that overall wisdom is always a function of speed of thought, and network effects often speed up contacting the right individual.
But.. there are counterpoints too: For example, this is what Kasparov said about his 1999 chess match against "The World":
It is the greatest game in the history of chess. The sheer number of ideas, the complexity, and the contribution it has made to chess make it the most important game ever played.
Many critics agree with him.
The important thing here is that no participant on "The World" team was remotely as highly rated as Kasparov on their own.
But.. there are counterpoints too: For example, this is what Kasparov said about his 1999 chess match against "The World":
It is the greatest game in the history of chess. The sheer number of ideas, the complexity, and the contribution it has made to chess make it the most important game ever played.
Many critics agree with him.
The important thing here is that no participant on "The World" team was remotely as highly rated as Kasparov on their own.
http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/kasparov-versus-the-world/